The president spoke at the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference he attended in Birmingham, England. In a report, he stated that Irish farmers have too much competition.
“Irish and British farmers are competing for shelving in the UK, but we always did it on an equal footing with common standards and a set of rules,” he said.
Now there is a real risk that British politicians will lower food standards for imports so that they use access to their market as a bargaining chip in trade deals with non-EU countries. “While we respect the UK’s right to make its own decisions, the EU must be clear.”
Kallinan emphasized that British and European consumers have always insisted on high standards for their food products, adding that they expect this to continue.
“If the UK wants constant access to the EU market, there must be fair play. It must support common standards and an external tariff. ” “Farmers in Ireland and the UK cannot be undermined by poor-quality food imports that fall short of consumer expectations,” he said.
“Our UK counterparts are working hard to lobby their government to maintain high standards so that their farmers have a level playing field in their own market. So, we have a common cause on this issue - fair competition. ”
Cullinan said IFA and NFI will continue to work together on this important issue: “We all strive to work together to maintain high standards of food quality and traceability. Agriculture and food are too important to sacrifice in these negotiations, ”the president concluded.
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