The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has asked the Dairy Council to clarify its position on the NI Protocol
The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has called for resolutions to be found on four ongoing issues regarding the NI Protocol – veterinary medicines, cattle movements, plant protection products and farm machinery.
The union has written to Dr Mike Johnston, chief executive of the Dairy Council Northern Ireland (DCNI), urging more support for the dairy industry on the issues.
The challenges the NI Protocol has created "cannot be dismissed and must be addressed urgently", the UFU warned in the letter.
Current transition arrangements agreed between the UK government and European Commission are due to end at the end of 2022 with the Protocol to be applied in full, from January 2023 onwards.
As it stands with the extended grace period for medicines coming to an end on 31 December, all veterinary products used in the EU, including NI, must be licensed in the EU.
Farmers in the province are "growing increasingly anxious" at the lack of movement to address this issue, the UFU said.
Without a solution, this could see UK veterinary medicines destined for NI, having to be re-licensed for NI and some companies may deem this as not cost effective given the limited size of the market in NI.
This means a large range of everyday veterinary products would be affected, including anthelmintics, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins and vaccines, impacting the health and welfare of livestock.
Chair of the UFU dairy committee, Kenny Hawkes said: “Our farmers have raised concerns in relation to Dr Johnston’s lack of recognition of four major issues created by the NI Protocol."
He added that cattle movements was another major issue for farmers. "Since January 2020, unreasonable restrictions were put in place when exporting livestock from GB to NI," Mr Hawkes explained.
"Many of our farmers would have sold pedigree bulls into GB but the restrictions have brought this to an end and has also affected the importation of dairy heifers."
EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules continue to apply in NI under the Protocol, meaning that since 1 January 2021, all regulated PPPs including seeds moving from GB to NI, are required to meet the EU’s third country import requirements.
Mr Hawkes said: "The danger is that whilst according to the EU NI producers could source PPP from the Republic of Ireland, they may end up using a product which is not permitted in NI/GB."
Moving second-hand machinery between GB and NI is also being affected by the NI Protocol, as machines must be free of soil and other potential contaminants for entry into NI.
Mr Hawkes said Dr Johnston must acknowledge the implications of the NI Protocol that could have "potentially devastating consequences" for local dairy farmers.
"While the Protocol has provided practical benefits for the local dairy industry, demonstrated by the fact that 800 million litres of milk continues to flow over the border per year, the challenges it has also created must be addressed urgently."