The chair of the Northern Ireland Agriculture Committee, Robbie Butler MLA, believes that Northern Ireland’s trust in both Brussels and successive UK governments has been badly eroded.
And nowhere is that more evident than in the crisis now facing Northern Ireland’s farming and agri-food sector, Butler said.
Recent days have been marked by a number of key debates at Stormont with a strong farming and food focus.
Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU and the rest of the UK has taken centre stage within these discussions, with many politicians airing their frustrations at what they regard as the continuing trade challenges that have yet to be resolved.
Significantly, representatives from all the political parties at Stormont are now calling for these matters to be sorted out as a matter of priority.
And the momentum behind this dissatisfaction seems set to grow.
Butler said: “We were told Brexit would bring opportunities, and we were assured the Windsor Framework would provide certainty.
“Instead, farmers, vets and agri-businesses have been left in the dark and out on a limb.”
The Agriculture Committee chair referenced recent announcements by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on veterinary medicines.
“The latest confirmation from DEFRA that 10 to 15% of veterinary medicines will be discontinued, with some sectors facing even higher losses, shows just how far reality has drifted from the repeated promises made to this sector,” he said.
“Scrutiny committees in both Westminster and here at Stormont have repeatedly warned that Northern Ireland is heading toward a cliff edge, yet progress from the UK Government and the European Commission has been painfully slow.
“Confidence has been further damaged by shifting timelines, mixed messages and a lack of clear leadership.
“For an industry already dealing with soaring costs, volatile markets and increasing regulatory pressure, this uncertainty is intolerable.”
Butler said that concerns around biosecurity and illegal meat imports, highlighted in recent reports from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee at Westminster and the National Audit Office, are “compounding the issue.
“Our farmers deserve to know what protections are in place, how the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is coordinating with authorities in the Republic of Ireland, and whether enforcement gaps are being closed – not simply receiving reassurances that everything will be fine.”
“Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector is one of our greatest strengths, but it cannot continue to operate on blind faith,” the Northern Ireland Agriculture Committee chair added.
“I am calling on both the UK government and the European Commission to step up, honour the commitments made, and finally deliver a clear, durable, science-based solution.
“Our farmers, vets and rural communities deserve honesty, certainty and respect, not more broken promises.”
