The immediate viability of Irish farming and food depends on concluding an all-encompassing free trade deal with the UK following its departure from the EU, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
In a statement today, Friday, January 31 – the day the UK formally leaves the union – the ICMSA stressed the importance of hammering out a deal in negotiations which will start probably in March.
ICMSA president Pat McCormack said that given our centuries-old food trade with the UK today is a day of huge disappointment for Irish farmers and the wider agri-food sector.
There’s no escaping the fear that what we could end up with would represent a downgrade on the relationship we’ve enjoyed with our British customers for centuries.
“But on a positive note, the UK is leaving with an agreement that includes a transition period. The challenge now is that the next government and the EU use that transition period to ensure that a free trade agreement is concluded that retains to the greatest degree possible the present level of access to the UK.
“We still need that tariff-free and quota-free access on the basis of the scale of exports to the UK across all sectors of farming,” McCormack said.
“In particular, the beef sector where farmers suffered heavy losses throughout the year and indeed still continuing into 2020. These losses need to be addressed in full and for all farmers,” he continued.
McCormack said Irish farming needed both sides to engage early and meaningfully and the EU and the next government must avoid the kind of uncertainty that surrounded the withdrawal agreement and caused so much disruption and financial loss to the farm sector.
“We’ll need a clear plan and strategy that addresses all possible outcomes in the trade negotiations”, he said.
The EU left farmers exposed during the withdrawal negotiations and serious financial losses were the result.
“That scenario cannot be repeated in 2020 and beyond, and so we have to commit to securing a free trade agreement and confirming that any Brexit-related losses will be dealt with in full and for all farmers,” he concluded.