Just 3% of farmers across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland believe that Brexit will not have an impact on Irish farming, according to a recent survey.

In a survey carried out by the National Farm Research Unit a total of 347 farmers on the island of Ireland were asked, ‘will Brexit have an impact on Irish farming?’.

Some 77% of farmers said Brexit will have an impact across Ireland, with the remaining 20% of those surveyed claiming they were unsure.

Breaking the results down by country, the overall results remained unchanged. A ‘yes’ vote was the most popular choice in both the Republic of Ireland (64%) and Northern Ireland (78%) respectively.

A total of 3% of those surveyed in the North and 8% of farmers from south of the border took an opposite stance. The remaining farmers were uncertain.

These figures are a strong indication that the majority of Irish farmers believe Brexit will have an impact on Irish farming, according to the National Farm Research Unit.

Difference in opinion?

However, there appears to be differing opinions between farmers and agricultural professionals in Ireland over the opportunities that Brexit holds.

Earlier this month, it was reported that 51% of agri professionals feel Brexit could offer positive opportunities for Ireland. This was according to a survey carried out among members of the Agricultural Science Association (ASA).

At the ASA conference, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, described Europe as the world’s leading agri-food trading bloc thanks to its enduring commitment to quality, standards and innovation.

“I firmly believe we can maintain this competitive advantage if we plan for the future now – taking into account evolving global consumer trends, improving our uptake of innovation and technology in the sector, and delivering more sustainable production systems while building stronger trade relationships with our global partners,” he said.

Overall, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU could provide certain challenges for Ireland, Head of Operations at the National Farm Research Unit, Rebecca Lewis, added.

“These results would indicate a lack of post-Brexit confidence within the Irish farming community.

“Hopefully, this response will encourage a call to action for implementation of key safeguarding measures within the Irish agricultural sector,” she concluded.