Irish farmers are facing a potential “armageddon” scenario as the UK nears its Brexit date, according to the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).
IFA President Joe Healy said that Irish farmers are already bearing the brunt of the impending Brexit through “disastrous” beef prices.
He has urged Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed to “put on the green jersey and tog out, right now, for Irish farmers who are facing a potential Armageddon from Brexit.”
Along with price supports, Mr Healy said the Minister needs to insist that for every 5c/kg change in the cattle price, the EU Commission makes provision for €20 per head compensation on every beef animal slaughtered.
IFA Livestock Chairman, Angus Woods added: “Irish beef farmers cannot wait until April for the Minister to act on EU price support and compensation.
“We need Minister Creed to act immediately and get out to Brussels and make it clear to Commissioner Hogan and the Commission that Irish beef farmers cannot be the ones to carry the cost of Brexit losses.”
He said at current cattle price levels, winter finishers are already shipping major losses, which is not sustainable. He said prices are 25c/kg or €90 per head below this time last year.
Cattle prices at the factories are at a base of €3.75/kg for steers and €3.85/kg for heifers. Cow prices are ranging from €2.60 to €3.30/kg with R grades at €3.00+/kg.
Farmers south of the Northern Ireland border have expressed concern about what will happen post-Brexit.
With less than three months to go until the UK's membership of the EU comes to an end, the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is proving one of the most difficult issues to overcome in exit negotiations.
“It is clear that the agri-food sector is set to become a major battleground in the negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and the UK," said Mr Healy.
“The Irish Government must prioritise our requirement that the UK maintains full regulatory alignment with the EU’s standards and common external tariff in the area of agriculture and food. Full regulatory alignment is necessary to avoid a hard border in Ireland and deliver the closest possible trading relationship between the EU and the UK, which is an outcome both sides have prioritised.
“The ideal solution is for the UK to remain in the Single Market and Customs Union. Short of this, we need an agreed framework whereby the UK remains fully aligned to European standards and trade policy.
“Our objective must be no border on the island of Ireland and no border in the Irish Sea. Otherwise, farm incomes will be hit and thousands of jobs lost in rural Ireland.”
