As previously reported by the Irish Farmers Journal, industry stakeholders, along with DAERA officials, have produced a framework document outlining various proposals for a NI agricultural policy after Brexit. We have been consistently told that as a devolved region, NI will have an unprecedented level of autonomy after the UK leaves the EU to develop policy that suits farming here.

It has even been suggested that we could put schemes in place that effectively mirror what is happening south of the Irish border.

To do that will require manpower in Government, yet as the Head of the Civil Service, David Sterling recently pointed out, Defra in London has recently recruited 1,200 staff to work on Brexit, and by contrast DAERA has around 30. It is one thing producing a framework document, another thing entirely actually writing and formulating policy.

Green Brexit

Therefore, the fear has to be that we end up following a policy designed for England because that is the easy thing to do. In fact, in many regards the content of the framework document produced here mirrors the utterances coming from London for a ‘green Brexit’. There is a strong focus given to the delivery of ‘public goods’ and for any future support to be targeted at the delivery of environmental goals.

While farmers must deliver for the environment going forward, the lack of a focus on farmers as food producers should be of concern. The current direction of travel seems to be towards creating some sort of huge national park after Brexit, where farmers keep a few livestock, grow trees, manage wildlife and greet city visitors on a day out. Meanwhile, the UK imports its food from all around the world, unconcerned about food miles, etc. It makes no sense at all.