Lakeland Dairies discusses future of sector with Secretary of State Hilary Benn

The meeting, which was held at Lakeland Dairies Newtownards, was led by Lakeland Dairies’ Chairperson Niall Matthew, Vice Chairperson Keith Agnew, Group CEO Colin Kelly, Head of Site Operations Peter McIlwaine and Quality Manager Teresa Lagan. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was shown around the state-of-the-art foodservice facility which creates world-class products for customers in 80 global markets.

Discussions focused on a range of critical issues affecting the dairy sector, including the importance of maintaining frictionless trade under the Windsor Framework, the need for a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement between the UK and the EU, and concerns around the Labour Party’s changes to Inheritance Tax and their potential impact on family farms.

Lakeland Dairies highlighted that continued cross-border cooperation and policy certainty are essential to underpin the dairy industry, which is a cornerstone of the rural economy across Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

Speaking after the meeting Chairperson of Lakeland Dairies Niall Matthews, said: “On behalf of our 3,200 farm families. we were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to Lakeland Dairies Newtownards this week and we thank him sincerely for his time and engagement. It was heartening to see the Secretary of State so engaged and interested in the NI dairy industry.

“As the largest dairy co-op in NI and the second largest of the island, we know that the dairy sector is an economic powerhouse supporting thousands of family farms across the island. Policies that protect our ability to trade seamlessly, support generational renewal, and futureproof our industry are vital.

“There is a real opportunity for the UK and EU to work constructively on a new SPS agreement, and we were encouraged to see that the Secretary of State is listening closely to the sector’s concerns. These are not abstract issues, they go to the heart of our way of life, the sustainability of rural communities, and the future success of the dairy industry.”

Lakeland Dairies’ Vice-Chairperson Keith Agnew said: “Regarding the Agricultural Property Relief (APR) inheritance tax issue, we made it very clear to the Secretary of State that changes are necessary in order to not damage the very fabric of the sector.

“A mother or father transfers the farm to their son or daughter to build upon their successes. The land inheritance tax, in its current form, has the potential to seriously damage the family farm model and the generational renewal we need to continue to move our world-class sector forward.”