January 19, 2021 12:22 pm
New animal movement restrictions threaten to bring an end to the British show circuit for Northern Irish breeders, unless a derogation is made to allow animals to move on a temporary basis.
New rules, which started on January 1, mean animals can enter Britain from Northern Ireland without restriction.
However, animal movements in the opposite direction will now be treated the same as imports from the rest of the world.
Under the new rules, animals from Northern Ireland cannot return back to the region without first completing a
six-month residency in Britain – even if they are only visiting for a show.
January 15, 2021 4:00 pm
Despite concern, two weeks since the end of the Brexit withdrawal period, trade issues have yet to materialise over the combined processing of milk from Northern Ireland and the Republic.
The issue raised its head again this week after Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney warned farmers at an IFA meeting in North Tipperary that the Brexit deal was still “problematic” for cross-border dairy firms.
The Northern Ireland Protocol allows for milk to move north and south without tariffs at the end of the Brexit transition period on January 1.
Around a third of Northern Ireland’s milk crosses the border for further processing.