UFU president William Irvine on his County Armagh farm. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) says today’s confirmation of a new UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement is a major step forward for Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry.
The deal, which includes the removal of routine SPS checks and paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, will reduce red tape for businesses and ease trade burdens that have existed since the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
UFU president William Irvine said, “This is a significant breakthrough. A huge amount of work has gone in at UFU level over many years to get to this point. The majority of what we have been lobbying for is now reflected in this agreement. It brings real, long-term certainty for our members and the wider agri-food industry.
“An end to burdensome SPS paperwork, removal of checks on goods moving to Northern Ireland, inclusion of second-hand machinery, progress on the movement of live cattle, pesticide regulations and rules on organics – these are all key wins.”
While the agreement does not include veterinary medicines, which are currently not classified as SPS, the UFU acknowledge that this is the beginning of a detailed process rather than the conclusion.
“This deal isn’t going to remove all obstacles overnight – it will take up to 18 months to implement, and much of the content will be complex and require further clarification. But it’s a step in the right direction. We must now get into the detail and ensure it delivers in practice,” said Mr Irvine.
The UFU is calling for sustained stakeholder engagement throughout the implementation phase.
“We strongly encourage the government to make time for meaningful engagement with the agri-food industry as part of this process. This is a good start – now the hard work continues to make it count,” said Mr Irvine.
