Farmers have been ‘thrown under the bus’ as UK agrees to trade deal quotas

President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, Victor Chestnutt, has said farmers have been “thrown under the bus”, with the UK agreeing to beef and lamb quotas favouring imports of high-value cuts.
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Mr Chestnutt’s comments came following the announcement that the UK-Australia trade deal had been finalised.

He stated: “When the news first broke about a free trade agreement in principle with Australia, we continually stressed alongside the other UK farming unions, that government need to safeguard local farming and food production.

“It’s very hard to see how government have delivered on this, when the deal appears to be falling extremely short of benefits for UK agriculture.

“We will examine the agreement in more detail but, at the moment, it seems Australia have got what they wanted at the expense of local food production.”

Mr Chestnutt continued: “We were given guarantees that sensitive sectors would be granted some level of protection but, disappointingly, safeguards have been time-limited.

“Full liberalisation of dairy will be granted after just six years and beef and lamb after 15 years.

“To aggravate the situation further, no safeguards will be available for any product if imports rise to a harmful volume after the time-limit is up.

“Plus, our farmers have been thrown under the bus, with the UK agreeing to beef and lamb quotas favouring imports of high-value cuts.

“This is the end of the market where they gain the best return for their dedication to producing food to world leading standards.”

The UFU president said there is also the issue of not being able to distinguish in detail how the UK will control imports that “do not meet the high animal welfare and environmental standards that our farmers work to daily”.

“The environment policy that Northern Ireland farmers uphold, adds extra cost when producing food, and while we’re doing everything we can to tackle climate change, Australia have no realistic plan in place to get to net zero by 2050 despite signing up to the Paris Agreement,” he added.

Government must now start being straight with UK farmers about the implications and potential impacts of this deal on their family farm business.

“They’re already enduring rising production costs as well as ongoing labour shortages, with the entire food supply chain making it very clear earlier this week at a cross-sector summit in London, that it needs to be addressed immediately.

“If our farmers are going to have a chance of competing with some of the most effective agricultural exporters in the world in their home market, there will need to be a significant change in domestic food and farming policy.

“Now, the Trade and Agriculture Commission and the select committees, will have approximately three months to review the deal and report to parliament.

“After which primary legislation will be needed,” Mr Chestnutt ended.