Farmers Increasingly Concerned about Changes to NI Protocol

IFA President Tim Cullinan said there was increasing concern within the farming community about proposed changes to the Northern Ireland protocol.

He said trade between north and south is working well and is operating in a positive way.

“Whatever the merits of the deal that was eventually agreed in December 2020, it has to be honoured. We have always said that Brexit would be damaging for our sector, but further unilateral changes will only add to the problem,” he said.

“The farming sector is going through massive upheaval at the moment. The inputs crisis is putting huge pressure on farmers. Anything that creates more disruption will be very negative,” he said.

“Trade on the island of Ireland, and the trade flows East-West and West-East between here and the UK, are important to the economies on these islands. Every effort must be made to safeguard trade in agri-food goods, which plays a crucial role in the prosperity of rural communities,” he said.

IFA has regular dialogue with the UFU and NFU and we are committed to maintaining trade flows between here and the UK.