The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is voicing its concern over the proposed changes to veterinary medicine supply under the Windsor Framework from 1 January 2026, following concerns raised by the Animal Health Distributors Association (AHDA). The UFU says a further derogation should be sought between the UK and EU to prevent disruption to supply as an insurance policy.
Recent analysis shared by AHDA indicates that up to 40% of key pack sizes for certain medicines could be discontinued in Northern Ireland, a figure dramatically higher than initial Government estimates. This withdrawal would disproportionately affect Northern Ireland’s predominantly small and medium-sized family farms.
UFU president William Irvine said, “Earlier this year, the UFU welcomed progress to alleviate concerns for veterinarians under two new schemes. However, UK Government schemes must address the vital role of Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs), who supply approximately £35 million veterinary products annually.
“The new schemes appear not to provide a viable mechanism for Northern Ireland SQPs to access alternatives when products are discontinued, pushing an administrative workload onto Northern Ireland’s already overstretched veterinary practices. This regulatory gap, if left unaddressed, would disrupt the entire supply chain and place an undue burden on farm operations.
“The current policy risks creating risk for animal welfare. When small and medium pack sizes, which are essential for our farming structure, are removed, farmers are forced to buy larger, more expensive volumes. This increases costs, creates waste, and most concerningly, limits the choice of active ingredients. This is a direct threat to our ability to manage animal health responsibly and fight antimicrobial resistance.
“This policy is an issue of both economics and animal welfare. Forcing farmers to tie up more finances in medicine overstocking to prevent supply issues, or risk having untreated animals due to prohibitive costs.”
The UFU understand the need to abide by EU regulation, which provides vital single market access; however, we cannot afford to have a two-tier animal welfare system in the UK whereby NI suffers more negative consequences.
The UFU urges the UK Government to take immediate action to provide clarity for the SQP sector and to prevent supply issues from undermining animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland from 2026 onwards.
