President of the Irish Farmers Association Tim Cullinan and president of the National Farmers Union in the UK Minette Batters have issued a joint statement on the importance of avoiding a no-deal Brexit.

The two farm leaders have been in regular contact and, as talks head towards a crunch point, they have set out the key priorities for farmers.

Priorities

  • IFA and NFU re-affirmed the importance of avoiding a ‘no-deal’ scenario and appealed to both sets of negotiators to remain steadfast in pursuit of an agreement for arrangements on 1 January.
  • Batters and Cullinan re-stated their firm commitment to the adherence to world-class standards that underpin food production in the UK and Ireland, and insisted that any future deal guarantees full recognition of these standards.
  • Trade on the island of Ireland, and the trade flows east-west and west-east are important to the economies on these islands. Every effort must be made to safeguard trade in agri-food goods, which plays a crucial role in the prosperity of rural communities.
  • The IFA and NFU re-affirmed their commitment to working together for the benefit of Irish and British farmers.

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