SDLP rural affairs spokesman Patsy McGlone MLA has said that the labour struggle that farmers could face after the UK leaves the EU emphasises the “havoc” that Brexit will bring.
The chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, Prof. Alan Manning has said that farming, food processing, hospitality and warehousing are all likely to struggle to attract enough workers after the UK leaves the EU.
It also comes as the submission period for Westminster’s Northern Ireland Affairs Committee inquiry into the effects of Brexit on farming in the region closes.
‘We cannot trust the Brexiteers’
McGlone said: “Even before the UK’s departure from the EU, we are hearing more and more about the havoc that Brexit will bring and the consequences that it will have on our farming community.
“New immigration rules could mean that fewer lower-skilled workers will come to Northern Ireland for work following Brexit.
This will impact on farmers who often rely on workers from other EU countries and may struggle to fill vacancies.
“The people of Northern Ireland did not vote to leave Europe but we must deal with it and its consequences. Such issues emphasise why we cannot trust the Brexiteers to protect the interests of the farming community post-Brexit.
“This is why it is imperative that we get the best deal for our farming community here in the North,” McGlone said.
“The SDLP will do everything in our power to fight against the worst consequences of the British Government’s Brexit plans and will fight to protect our local rural economy.”
