In the short term, the first impact along the 500-mile Irish border is the change in exchange rates. Sterling weakened by as much as 10% at one point as it became clear that the UK had voted to leave the EU.

The reduction in competiveness of Irish exports worries Donegal farmers in agri supplies stores around the border. How long sterling will remain weak and how the markets will further react as the UK withdrawal negotiations slowly take place are the questions being asked. The word “uncertainty” has been said many times today.

The majority of people in the UK did not understand what they were voting for. There was a serious amount of misinformation

Agri supply store managers in Donegal state that their stores are immediately less appealing to northern farmers.

Store manager at Raphoe Hardware Company Geoffrey Devenney said that changes in exchange rates have always dictated how many northern farmers come through the doors. “Northern farmers might only be 15% of our turnover but no business wants a reduction in sales at any time,” he said.

A farmer joins in: “In times of uncertainty, no one spends money. That goes for agriculture or any other industry either side of the border. The economy in Donegal was hard hit by the recession and eventually started pick up over the past year or so but this looks to be a setback.”

Hardening of the border

The hardening of the border is another important worry and again no one knows to what extent or how quickly changes will be seen. This would have longer term consequences for the extremely integrated businesses on both sides of the border.

Questions over livestock movements and general agricultural supplies in and out of the EU across the Irish border over the next few years are also being asked.

The store in Raphoe sells hardware, meal and fertilisers with Geoffrey also pointing out that a large percentage of products on sale in the store are originally sourced eight miles away in NI or else in Britain.

“Another percentage of supplies come from importers here [in the Republic]. If prices go up with tariffs or swings in exchanges then they go up here and it is the farmer that has to pay,” he said.

Frustration and anger

Mixed with the uncertainty, it has to be said, there is a strong degree of frustration and anger. Some Donegal farmers said that a referendum should not have been held in the first place. “The majority of people in the UK did not understand what they were voting for. There was a serious amount of misinformation,” one sheep and suckler said in Lifford.

Back over the border in the north and the mood of uncertainty remains, but as some agri store managers in Donegal pointed out, many northern customers were ‘leave’ voters.

“Farming is on its knees here across all sectors, it couldn’t get any worse, we need a change,” said Andrew Sayers from Artigarvan, Co Tyrone. The contract dairy heifer rearer farms full time around three miles from Strabane and voted ‘leave’ on Thursday.

He maintains that trade with Europe will continue after the UK exit from the EU. “They need us for trade as much as we need them, they cannot penalise us that way for wanting to leave,” he said.

Andrew is confident that farm subsidies will continue. “We will need direct payments to keep farmers in business and support the wider employment that stems from agriculture. At least now we will be able to design our own policy. A change is needed from CAP, especially around the flattening of payments,” he said.

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