The President of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), Joe Healy, has warned that Ireland's access to the UK must remain as free as possible with the minimisation of any barriers to trade.
The potential economic damage for the agri-food sector that would arise from a hard Brexit is too serious to ignore, he added.
Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture yesterday afternoon on the impact of Brexit, IFA President Joe Healy called for the support of the Committee on the proposals IFA has put forward at national and EU level for farmers and the agri-food sector.
He said if this proves unworkable, IFA is clear that the agreement of a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the UK with favourable access for agricultural products and mutual recognition of standards must be a priority at EU level.
At EU level, IFA has looked for direct support through CAP Market Support measures to be provided to affected producers. The decline of sterling, arising from the UK vote, is a market disturbance which has occurred swiftly and unexpectedly and has resulted in significant price falls he claimed.
"We believe that the EU Commission must look seriously at providing exceptional support for sectors for whom an external political event has had an immediate and negative economic impact. We are again calling on the Government to pursue this at EU level. We are also asking for the support of this Committee on these issues," he said.
Source: www.businessworld.ie
