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'They need EU money to live on': Northern Irish farmers ponder Brexit 'They need EU money to live': Northern Irish farmers ponder Brexit
(35 minutes later)
“The first thing that will go are the sheep,” says Northern Irish farmer Hugh Maguire as he ponders Brexit while leaning over pens packed with livestock ready for export across the border to an abattoir outside Dublin. “The first thing that will go is the sheep,” said Hugh Maguire, a Northern Irish farmer, as he pondered Brexit while leaning over pens packed with livestock ready for export across the border to an abattoir outside Dublin.
“Then it will be the communities,” says vet Kevin Leonard at his practice across the road from the sheep mart in Enniskillen, an Irish border town and the birthplace of Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist party. “Then it will be the communities,” said Kevin Leonard, a vet, at his practice across the road from the sheep mart in Enniskillen, the birthplace of Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist party.
“The profit margins are so low in the farms. It would be hard for our business – how you see it going forward – and the whole area. I think it would definitely be worse if there was no farming,” says Leonard, himself a small farmer with 500 sheep and 150 cattle. “The profit margins are so low in the farms. It would be hard for our business – how you see it going forward – and the whole area. I think it would definitely be worse if there was no farming,” said Leonard, himself a small farmer with 500 sheep and 150 cattle.
For him it is not just the prospect of tariffs on lamb exports in the event of no deal, but the disappearance of the farm subsidy. “The biggest threat is that there will not be subsidies to support farmers here. I have farmers here who can’t pay the vet bill until their payment comes in. Most of the farms here are small. They don’t wash their faces just keeping livestock. They need that EU money to live on,” says Leonard. For him, it is not just the prospect of tariffs on lamb exports in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but the disappearance of the farm subsidy. “The biggest threat is that there will not be subsidies to support farmers here. I have farmers here who can’t pay the vet bill until their payment comes in. Most of the farms here are small. They don’t wash their faces just keeping livestock. They need that EU money to live on,” he said.
As talks in Brexit intensify in Westminster and Brussels, it is in places like here in the wet and damp hills of Enniskillen, that the impact of a decision will be felt hard. Farming in this part of Northern Ireland is barely profitable. Land is poor here in the border counties that voted remain compared to the leave-voting eastern counties. As Brexit talks intensify in Westminster and Brussels, it is in places such as the wet and damp hills of Enniskillen that the impact of a decision will be felt hard. Farming in this part of Northern Ireland is barely profitable. Land is poor in the border counties that voted remain, compared with the leave-voting eastern counties.
Latest government statistics for 2016-17 show farm income for lowland sheep farmers in Northern Ireland was just £7,812 a year, a little over a quarter of the median household income in the UK of £27,200 for 2016-17. Government statistics for 2016-17 show farm income for lowland sheep farmers in Northern Ireland was £7,812 a year, a little over one-quarter of the UK median household income of £27,200.
“To be quite honest nobody knows what’s going on,” says Maguire, who owns and rents farmland and does not want to return to the old days when “there was nothing but trouble” on the border. Maguire, who owns and rents farmland and does not want to return to the old days when there was “nothing but trouble” on the border, said: “To be quite honest, nobody knows what’s going on.”
He is concerned that if tariffs are put on sheep, then his sales market is dead. “The first thing that will go are the sheep. Seventy percent of them go south to be killed. If there’s barriers there, the market goes,” he says. He fears that if tariffs are put on sheep, his sales market is dead. “The first thing that will go are the sheep. Seventy percent of them go south to be killed. If there’s barriers there, the market goes,” Maguire said.
For him, the approach of the DUP is unfathomable. They don’t represent the border communities and they are threatening livelihoods of farmers on the border, he says. “The DUP are backing themselves into a corner. They are not going to agree unless it’s their way or no way. They are holding the government to ransom,” he says. For him, the approach of the DUP is unfathomable. The party does not represent border communities and is threatening the livelihoods of farmers on the border, he said. “The DUP are backing themselves into a corner. They are not going to agree unless it’s their way or no way. They are holding the government to ransom,” Maguire said.
“If people want to remain here and call themselves British, let them, but don’t interfere with life on the borders. We have free trade here now and people from the south can come here and buy their livestock. For the next generation it’s concerning because deal or no deal it’s going to be worse.” “If people want to remain here and call themselves British, let them, but don’t interfere with life on the borders. We have free trade here now and people from the south can come here and buy their livestock. For the next generation it’s concerning because deal or no deal, it’s going to be worse.”
For sheep farmers in Northern Ireland the consequences of no deal would be immediate and real as 50% of all lambs born in Northern Ireland go south to the republic for slaughter. Many would go out of business if tariffs were applied to exports to the republic in the event of no deal, adding 30% to the price tag per animal. For sheep farmers in Northern Ireland, the consequences of no deal would be immediate and real, as 50% of all lambs born in Northern Ireland go to the Irish Republic for slaughter. Many farmers would go out of business if tariffs were applied to exports, adding 30% to the price per animal.
“Brexit – I can’t understand why. If it’s not broken, why fix it? I can’t see any positives in it, to be honest,” says Leonard. Leonard said: “Brexit – I can’t understand why. If it’s not broken, why fix it? I can’t see any positives in it, to be honest.
“Farming is so important to the community here. They might all be small farmers, but they keep people in the shops going and the other trades, mechanics, merchants. They are the backbone of rural life. If they are not making money then that will be a big problem to communities around here. “Farming is so important to the community here. They might all be small farmers, but they keep people in the shops going and the other trades, mechanics, merchants. They are the backbone of rural life. If they are not making money then that will be a big problem to communities around here.”
James Johnston, owner of the Ulster Farmers’ Mart in Enniskillen – who voted to leave the EU – believes the market will settle down after Brexit. James Johnston, the owner of the Ulster Farmers’ Mart in Enniskillen – who voted to leave the EU – believes the market will settle down after Brexit.
He says there is already an effective border for livestock sales, with paperwork particularly for cattle, but that a no-deal Brexit will mean an unwelcome “second border”. He said there is already an effective border for livestock sales, with paperwork particularly for cattle, but a no-deal Brexit would mean an unwelcome “second border”.
Johnston says: “If all of a sudden sheep are worth 50% less and you are going to see people going out of business, 50% of our business would evaporate.” “If all of a sudden sheep are worth 50% less and you are going to see people going out of business, 50% of our business would evaporate,” Johnston said.
He wants political leaders to “at least broach the next few steps” and prepare the farming community for what is to come. People need assurances that support is going to be continued and the uncertainty of Brexit is removed, Johnston says. “If Michael Gove came over and made that clear that would good,” he says. He wants political leaders to “at least broach the next few steps” and prepare the farming community for what is to come. People need assurances that support is going to be continued and the uncertainty of Brexit removed, Johnston said. “If Michael Gove came over and made that clear, that would good,” he added.
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
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BrexitBrexit
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