The president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Ivor Ferguson, has defended the union’s decision to support the draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, during the opening address at a beef conference on Wednesday. Speaking at CAFRE Greenmount, Ferguson said that the prospect of a no-deal Brexit was discussed at a meeting of the UFU’s executive committee at the end of October.

“With exception of one or two farmers, everyone said that we have to have a deal,” he said.

As the details of the draft agreement emerged last week, Ferguson claimed that the deal had unanimous support from two sub-groups of UFU members in Co Antrim that had already been scheduled to meet.

ADVERTISEMENT

At a UFU board meeting the following day, the nine-person panel also voted on the matter, with eight members in favour and one voting against the draft agreement.

The UFU president pointed out that the draft agreement is also supported by the other UK farming unions, food and drink processors and the business sector.

“I know that message might not suit everybody, and there could be things in this deal that might not suit us either, but at least the farmers have spoken,” Ferguson said.

Imports

During his address at the Healthy Cattle, Healthy Profits Conference, Ferguson also criticised British politicians who favour a trade policy after Brexit which would allow third country imports of cheap food, particularly beef.

“Retailers have faith in our product and, more importantly, consumers have faith in it. We have spent 40 years developing a safe and traceable product, why would we want to change that?” he asked.

Transition

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the European Commission has confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that an extension to the transition period could mean NI farmers staying in CAP beyond 2020.

The transition period kicks in if the Withdrawal Agreement is agreed and in place once the UK formally exits the EU on 29 March 2019. At present, the plan is to have a transition period running to the end of 2020, during which time the UK and EU will negotiate a future trading relationship.

However earlier this week, Europe’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier raised the prospect of that transition being extended to the end of 2022, to give negotiators more time. If that was to be agreed, it would mean NI farmers staying within the rules of the CAP and continuing to receive direct payments until that date, confirmed the Commission spokesperson. However, it would also come at a cost to the UK government, so may not be politically palatable in Westminster.