Northern Ireland survey looks at Brexit’s impact on meat sector
Northern Ireland survey looks at Brexit’s impact on meat sector
The Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) has released a report looking at the impact of Brexit on the local food and drink industry, including in the meat and poultry sector.
Following a survey of its membership, the NIFDA sought to outline the challenges businesses face and the key priorities that need to be addressed through negotiation and policy development.
The following priorities for the Executive and UK Government were confirmed in the report:
- A formalised engagement with NIFDA
- A commercially workable comprehensive trade agreement with Europe
- A workable labour policy
- Export assistance to the same level as Northern Ireland’s competitors
- Support the family farm base that drives the rural economy of the UK
- Continue to build Northern Ireland’s reputation for operating to the highest standards.
“The UK government is preparing the plans necessary to enable us to leave the European Union and on this basis we must now focus our efforts on making Brexit a success, for agri-food generally and in particular for agri-food in Northern Ireland,” Declan Billington, NIFDA chairman, commented.
“Both the challenges and opportunities are extensive. They need to be resolved in a way that allows us to tap into the potential for success that exists. Successful resolution is not exclusively dependent upon the outcome of trade negotiations with Europe, but also on how we reposition out industry to service the food market both in the UK and globally.”
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