The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has given the draft Brexit agreement a cautious welcome saying further confirmation was still needed on potential commercial barriers when trading with the UK.

While the draft protocol states, if necessary, there would be no regulatory barriers between Northern Ireland (NI) and the rest of the UK the UFU said there must also be no commercial barriers.

Main market

Commenting on the deal UFU president Ivor Ferguson said: “Great Britain is our main market for food. Northern Ireland must be able to trade in the UK’s internal market without restrictions.”

He welcomed the minimal disruption the plan would have on trading relations with the Republic of Ireland, saying they had been central to NI agriculture long before the UK joined the EU.

“The situation remains very fluid and we are reviewing the document in detail. Ultimately, we would like a UK-wide solution, full stop. However, this agreement does provide an insurance policy to prevent a no-deal outcome, which would be disastrous for farm businesses and the economy in Northern Ireland,” Ferguson said.

Trade

He highlighted that agri-food was a cornerstone of the NI economy and said that, as far as possible, any deal must allow the agriculture industry free and frictionless trade with the EU.

He said: “Any significant barriers to trade between NI and EU member states, NI and the Republic of Ireland, or NI and Great Britain would have a major impact.”

Overall, he concluded the document delivered on the UFU’s aims of securing NI’s existing agricultural trading relations, stressing the key focus of the UFU was farming and that it steered clear of wider political issues.

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