Irish and UK farmers 'absolutely united' against no-deal

The IFA said it is 'clear' that Irish and UK farmers are 'absolutely united' in the desire to avoid a no deal and a hard border
The IFA said it is 'clear' that Irish and UK farmers are 'absolutely united' in the desire to avoid a no deal and a hard border

Farmers in the UK and Ireland are 'absolutely united' in their desire to avoid a ‘no deal’ Brexit and a hard border, according to the Irish Farmers' Association.

The IFA president Joe Healy welcomed the NFU president Minette Batters on the opening day of the Ploughing Championships in County Carlow on Tuesday (17 September).

“Minette Batters is here today to stand with Irish farmers against the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, with potentially disastrous consequences for farmers here and across the water,” he said.

It comes as the Central Bank of Ireland recently warned that up to a third of Irish farms could be forced out of business in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Their research found that beef and sheep businesses are particularly vulnerable as they face 'significant viability challenges'.

Mr Healy added: “We are fast approaching the risk of a no-deal, cliff edge Brexit on 31st October, that would be catastrophic for farmers across the island of Ireland and in mainland UK.

“We are clear that Brexit can only go ahead on the basis of a Withdrawal Agreement and a transition period, that would provide for a standstill in trading relations, avoiding a hard border in Ireland and maintaining the existing close trading relationships.”

He said: “As regards current discussions on alternative arrangements to the backstop, full regulatory and customs alignment is necessary to avoid a hard border in Ireland and to protect the integrity of the single market.”

The IFA said it is 'clear' that Irish and UK farmers are 'absolutely united' in the desire to avoid a no deal and a hard border.

The UK farming industry fears that a hard border across Ireland would not only be politically unsettling but would cut through businesses and farmers livelihoods.

Many Northern Irish producers rely on abattoirs in the south as Northern Ireland does not have the manpower to slaughter all of the animals produced..

Mr Healy urged the Irish government and EU to announce details of how farmers will be supported if Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes the UK out of the EU on 31 October without a deal.

He said: “IFA has set out clearly in our pre-Budget submission what is needed to prevent the sector from Armageddon.

“We are 43 days out from a potential no-deal Brexit, and the EU and the government must commit to IFA’s package of measures, and support Ireland’s farmers”.

The recent collapse of pound sterling has already hit cattle prices in Ireland: “We are down 40c/kg or over €150 per head on this time last year, when prices had already been decimated,” Mr Healy added.

“If we don’t have an EU support package in place and the UK crashes out in October, we are facing the potential wipe-out of beef production in this country.”