The Ulster Unionist candidate in the upcoming European Parliamentary election Danny Kennedy has said that elements of the local poultry industry could come to a standstill unless a decision is taken now to allow the continued export of litter to the Irish Republic after the UK leaves the European Union.

Danny Kennedy said:

“The poultry industry is crucially important to the local agri-food sector and the entire Northern Ireland economy. It employs thousands of people, with broiler and egg laying units now providing a vital source of additional income for many hundreds of farmers.

“One of the consequences however of the sectors growth over the last decade has been the production of 270,000 tonnes of poultry litter every year. Around 80,000 tonnes of it is sent to across the border, where it is used both as a valuable fertiliser on arable ground and to supplement AD plants across the Republic. 

“There is a real danger however that in the event of a no-deal Brexit there would be immediate restrictions placed on the cross-border movement of untreated waste.

“Spreading this surplus litter on agricultural land across Northern Ireland would simply not be an option as much of the land is already at its limit for phosphorus. As a result some parts of the local industry could come to a standstill until alternative arrangements were found.

“My Party has now written to DAERA asking for a further update on the situation. Simply asking farmers to have a contingency plan in place to deal with litter – even though a whole list of previous Northern Ireland Executive Ministers failed to find a lasting solution – is not good enough.

“I have always believed that crashing out of the EU with no deal would be a total disaster for our farmers. This is a view shared by all of the main farming Unions right across the UK.

“Whilst the 29 March departure date has come and gone, the reality is we are set to be leaving Europe at the end of October. With only five months to go I see absolutely zero progress being made on key issues – such as the cross border movement of poultry litter – which are essential for the local farming industry.

"It's essential that decisions such as these are taken, and taken soon.”