DEAR SIR:
In June 2016, the UK took a landmark decision to leave the EU. Yet the two years and eight months that have followed have been dominated by uncertainty, diplomatic backpedalling and party political infighting.
Most damaging of all has been the policy vacuum that has been allowed to grow unabated around how our agri-food industry is going to be supported in the months and years ahead. It has long been recognised that farmers in Northern Ireland would be among some of those with the most to lose from a bad Brexit deal.
Yet we remain by far the least prepared of any UK region and the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive has left the local industry without a voice at the political table just when it needed one the most.
It is no secret that farmers are major beneficiaries from EU payments – the UK receives around £3bn of that support every year with almost 10% coming to NI.
Therein lies a danger, for if we were only to receive a proportion of future funding through the usual Westminster funding mechanism, the support would be cut by around two-thirds.
That would decimate the industry, wiping out countless smaller family farms and leaving the rest reeling.
Agriculture in Ireland – both North and South – is facing a seminal moment. Decisions taken in the next number of days and weeks will affect entire future generations of farming families and yet right now, with only a month to go, it’s despicable that our farmers have no idea what those decisions will be.
Read more
Livestock attacks cost Northern Ireland £290,000 in last four years
No-deal Brexit tariffs could increase food prices by 45%, retailers warn
DEAR SIR:
In June 2016, the UK took a landmark decision to leave the EU. Yet the two years and eight months that have followed have been dominated by uncertainty, diplomatic backpedalling and party political infighting.
Most damaging of all has been the policy vacuum that has been allowed to grow unabated around how our agri-food industry is going to be supported in the months and years ahead. It has long been recognised that farmers in Northern Ireland would be among some of those with the most to lose from a bad Brexit deal.
Yet we remain by far the least prepared of any UK region and the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive has left the local industry without a voice at the political table just when it needed one the most.
It is no secret that farmers are major beneficiaries from EU payments – the UK receives around £3bn of that support every year with almost 10% coming to NI.
Therein lies a danger, for if we were only to receive a proportion of future funding through the usual Westminster funding mechanism, the support would be cut by around two-thirds.
That would decimate the industry, wiping out countless smaller family farms and leaving the rest reeling.
Agriculture in Ireland – both North and South – is facing a seminal moment. Decisions taken in the next number of days and weeks will affect entire future generations of farming families and yet right now, with only a month to go, it’s despicable that our farmers have no idea what those decisions will be.
Read more
Livestock attacks cost Northern Ireland £290,000 in last four years
No-deal Brexit tariffs could increase food prices by 45%, retailers warn
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