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European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan made the news headlines in the UK on Sunday with his position on how to deal with the border question.
He is bluntly saying that the best outcome is continued UK membership of the customs union and single market or at least letting Northern Ireland continue its membership.
The best of all outcomes for Irish farmers, north and south, is that the UK remains, as the Commissioner suggests in the Observer newspaper interview, in both the customs union and single market.
The suggestion that Northern Ireland be allowed remain even if the rest of the UK departs is of limited benefit to farmers south of the border, though it would meet the needs of farmers in Northern Ireland.
The reason is that only a small part of Irish farm exports are to Northern Ireland; the vast majority, particularly beef and cheese, are to Britain. It is the damage to this business that would cripple Irish farmers, particularly beef producers.
Milk that is currently used for cheddar production for the UK market could be switched to other uses, though not without the horrendous cost of abandoning cheese production facilities and investing in others, most likely for powder.
Failure to access the UK market would dramatically reduce the value of beef, and significantly reduce the value of milk coming off farm as well if it is ending up in a lower value product than cheese.
Immigration
The immigration of people into the UK was one of the biggest campaign issues in the referendum in June last year.
The loss of freedom of movement of people would disadvantage the food processing industry, which is dependent on migrant labour for up to two-thirds of its workforce.
However, if people cannot access the UK as of right from the rest of the EU, and there is a clear requirement by industry for these people, then a scheme can be devised to enable fast-track entry.
While it is straightforward making an online visa application for a person, it is much more complex making an application to export products
It can be as simple as making an application for a work permit online for a defined period, just as it is currently possible to apply online for a holiday visa to the US or Turkey.
It is different with the customs union, as anything less than complete free movement of goods and synchronisation of standards means disruption.
While it is straightforward making an online visa application for a person, it is much more complex making an application to export products. Similarly, with people entering the UK through ports and airports, there is a natural checkpoint.
For trucks moving goods, there has been no such control within the EU for the past 25 years.
No amount of cameras or electronic scanning will avoid the basic process of some level of physical inspection taking place to verify that the products moving across an EU border are what they are supposed to be.
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