Protocol is a disaster for Northern Irish farmers – and cow festivals
In July, livestock farmers from across the UK will begin gathering in Carlisle, Cumbria, along with their cattle, to celebrate the (delayed) 50th anniversary of the British Limousin Cattle Society, and 50 years since the Limousin breed first arrived in the UK from France in 1971.
Originating in the French Limousin region, the gold-coloured cattle were once draught animals, renowned for their strength and sturdiness. Nowadays, they are raised, across the world, as beef cattle, and are the leading cattle breed in Britain.
However, Northern Irish Limousin farmers, along with their prized livestock, are unlikely to be in attendance at the celebrations, thanks to rules set out in the Northern Ireland Protocol that make it difficult for farmers to move their livestock between England and Ireland.
Warning that Northern Irish producers could be squeezed out of the UK market, William Irvine, deputy president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, said: “We are frustrated that the UK government seems to be hell-bent on opening to doors wide-open to anywhere around the world, when they aren’t supporting home-grown, quality product – that has traceability, is quality-assured, and is a known quantity.”
According to Irvine, the most significant issue facing livestock farmers in Northern Ireland is importing their livestock back into Northern Ireland from Great Britain: “If for any reason cattle are taken over to Great Britain and they don’t sell, they can’t come straight back – they have to have six months’ residency in Great Britain before they can come back to Northern Ireland again.”
Under the Protocol arrangement, goods arriving from the Great British mainland are checked before they reach Northern Ireland. This usually takes place in seaports such as at Belfast. The checks are required by the EU when products like meat, dairy and eggs are imported from a non-EU state and ensure that goods bound for the EU adhere to its strict standards.
The Protocol has led to Northern Irish farmers suffering, as the new rules and Brexit worries threaten to harm their trade.
“There was a traditional movement of livestock backwards and forwards,” says Irvine. “Our pedigree breeders would have taken a prime, pedigree stocked over to sales in the north of England and south of Scotland. And there would have been a small but lucrative market for them… [this rule] has killed that trade for us.”
“They can’t attend that event because of the six-month residency before they can bring their stock home again,” Irvine said. “Our local guys here have world-class Limousins that could compete with anybody.”
The Northern Ireland Protocol also hampers farmers’ abilities to compete with rivals from outside of the EU. The free trade deals that Britain has agreed with Australia and New Zealand have led to concerns that beef and lamb could flood into the UK market, undercutting Northern Irish meat which must adhere to EU standards, according to the current Protocol.
“At the minute, the vast majority of Australia and New Zealand’s products go into Asia. So in the immediate future it doesn’t worry us. But if, for any reason, the Asian market hiccups, then we will feel very vulnerable – Australia and New Zealand could just use us as a dumping ground for cheap product,” Irvine said.
“The demand in supermarkets is for British, quality-approved beef. The real issue would be in the restaurant sector – their beef tends to be cheaper.”