So it has happened. Nobody thought it would, but it did. And no, I’m not talking about Iceland kicking our neighbours England out of the European football championships. Instead I'm talking about the decision of people in the UK to exit the European Union of their own accord.

I wrote at length about my fears over a Brexit in an earlier article and these fears have turned into a looming reality. The impact to Irish agriculture is by far the most frightening as a result of this referendum. The opening of the UK market to South American beef imports and trade tariffs are the most worrying aspect of Brexit.

We must look at how we can best place ourselves in these uncertain few years until the EU-UK tether is officially broken. Bord Bia and the Irish meat processors must work hard to promote Irish beef in Britain. The grass-fed, green image of Irish beef, along with traceability and Quality Assurance records, will hold our produce in high regard to the British consumer and strengthen our case for shelf space in London, Manchester and Liverpool.

While a Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) is highly sought after for niche food products such as the already attained Waterford Blaa and Connemara Hill Lamb, a broad Irish beef recognition of quality is vitally important in order to position ourselves at the forefront of British, European and American minds when it comes to recognising quality.

There will be uncertainty for Irish agriculture long-term but it is welcome that there will be no short-term reduction of direct EU payments, particularly in these times of low farmgate prices.

Synchronising heifers

A close eye is being kept on the replacement heifers which were synchronised and will be approaching their first cycle around now. Fingers crossed that they hold in calf. Synchronisation with fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI) can be extremely useful and beneficial, but a costly exercise, so it is important to carry it out correctly.

While Brexit presents its challenges to Irish farmers, we mustn’t lose sight of our positives in terms of our quality produce. There must be compassion shown by government, by processors and by retailers to farmers to sustain prices and provide a fair and decent wage for farmers.