UFU Meets MEP to Discuss Concerns Over Brazilian Beef and Poultry Imports
The Ulster Farmers’ Union today met with Midlands-North-West MEP Ciaran Mullooly to discuss growing concerns surrounding imports of Brazilian beef and poultry and the implications for Northern Ireland farmers under the forthcoming EU restrictions.
James McCluggage, UFU Policy and Communications Director, said, “The UK Government’s decision not to immediately align with the EU on Brazilian imports raises significant questions from both a public health and a farming perspective. The concept of One Health recognises the close link between human, animal and environmental health. Given the global concerns around antimicrobial resistance, it is difficult to understand why the UK is taking a different approach while carrying out a review that may not conclude until 2027.”
The UFU raised concerns regarding the level of testing currently undertaken on imported products. DEFRA tested just 94 samples for residues of veterinary medicines during 2023-24 despite 114,442 tonnes of Brazilian meat being imported during that period. In contrast, Northern Ireland tested 4,953 meat commodity samples during 2025 through its surveillance, inspection and risk-based sampling programmes.
Mr McCluggage added, “Northern Ireland and UK farmers operate to some of the highest production standards in the world and have made significant progress in reducing antibiotic use on farms. It is only fair that imported products meet equivalent standards. Farmers should not be undercut by products produced under systems that cannot currently provide those same assurances.”
The UFU also warned of the potential market impact should Brazilian beef and poultry, currently destined for EU markets, be diverted into Great Britain. In 2025 the EU imported over 92,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef and 211,000 tonnes of Brazilian poultry. The Union believes there is a real risk that a proportion of this product could be redirected into the UK market, creating pressure on domestic farmgate prices.
The meeting also explored the operation of the Windsor Framework, cross-border trade implications and the need to ensure Northern Ireland farmers are not placed at a competitive disadvantage as a result of differing UK and EU approaches to Brazilian imports.
The UFU thanked Mr Mullooly for engaging on the issue and agreed to continue working with political representatives in Brussels and Dublin to ensure Northern Ireland farmers’ concerns are fully understood.
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