The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has raised concerns about cross-border sales of fertilisers, saying that “current anomaly with respect to Northern Ireland must be addressed”.

ICOS will join the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine today (Wednesday, September 28), to begin pre-legislative scrutiny of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022.

The Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022 provides for a National Fertiliser Database, and a National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS), among other objectives.

The most substantive issue with the current proposals is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) acknowledgement that the register will only apply to purchases of fertiliser made within the state, according to ICOS.

“The ongoing capacity for farmers to purchase fertiliser from outside the state is an enormous black hole in the current plans for a register.

“It would be extraordinarily naive to assume, given examples from other products such as silage plastic and smokey coal, that similar loopholes will not be taken advantage of in this scenario. We acknowledge the [DAFM’s] efforts to seek an all-Island approach and appreciate the sensitivities at play.

“However, the lack of any clear timelines for a solution is very worrying,” according to ICOS.

Veterinary medicines

Despite previously raising the issue of veterinary medicines at a committee meeting in spring 2021, ICOS said its key concerns “remain unaddressed”. Speaking ahead of the committee meeting this evening, the group stated:

“We said previously that the new veterinary medicines regulation could potentially create a dramatic shift in the veterinary medicines supply chain, in favour of Private Veterinary Practitioners (PVPs) to the detriment of Co-ops, pharmacists and independent Licenced Merchants (LMs). 

“We warned that the new rules will narrow the distribution channel and reduce choice, and, in turn, increase the costs of medicines as Co-ops and LMs will be disadvantaged in the marketplace. This will undermine the sustainability of the Co-op store network as a key pillar of their offering will be weakened, and footfall will be diminished.

“Our main recommendation to the committee was to ensure the continuation of the existing LMs network as a recognised route of supply, as expertly administered by trained responsible persons to ensure maximum and fair competition and availability for farmers.”

ICOS also warned of substantial jobs losses in co-ops and LMs in rural areas, and a significant increase in costs at farm level at a time when inflation is going through the roof.