A new sanitary/phytosanitary (SPS) agreement for veterinary medicines needs to be agreed between the UK and the European Union as it is critical for agri-business both north and south of the border.
That’s according to chief corporate affairs officer with Lakeland Dairies, Patrick Donohoe, who appeared before a sitting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week.
“The Windsor Framework is working, and is working well for a company like Lakeland, which… our milk tankers criss-cross the border up to 100,000 times a year,” Donohoe said.
“Bringing milk that’s collected on a farm in Newry, the same tanker will collect milk from a farm in Glaslough in Co. Monaghan, bring it to our plant in Co. Tyrone, take the product from that and bring it to another plant for further processing.
However, Donohoe explained that there are still three issues around the Windsor Framework which are causing concern i.e., misalignment, veterinary medicines and the democratic consent.
“The one that has the potential to be really damaging… is the whole veterinary medicines issue,” he continued.
“Right now, veterinary products produced, certified and labelled in Britain can still be used in Northern Ireland; from January 1, 2026, that will no longer be the case.
“That has the potential to remove somewhere between 30% and 50% of all medicines for animals, for companion animals, for farm animals, from the NI market.
“What impact does that have? Huge. We talk a lot in southern Ireland about the loss of the nitrates derogation would have for the agricultural industry – the loss of veterinary medicines and the use of what we have today would be like the derogation ‘on steroids’,” he added.
Donohoe stressed that the veterinary medicines issue would have huge economic, social, animal health and trade ramifications.
Veterinary medicines
The Joint Oireachtas Committee said that 2.5 billion litres of milk are produced in Northern Ireland each year on farms and Lakeland Dairies is the largest purchaser of milk in the province.
“30% of all that milk comes south across the border for processing and if vets in the Department of Agriculture [Food and the Marine], aren’t comfortable with animal medicines that have been used on farms in Northern Ireland – even though they’re the exact same but they’re just not certified – then where does that 30% of milk go? Donohoe continued.
“That has a huge impact firstly on Northern Ireland dairy farmers, but we are an all-island food nation and the impact it would have on the dairy industry, companion animals and all ancillaries is absolutely huge.”
“We don’t think there is a fairytale outcome, the EU [is] really digging in [its] heels a bit on opening up to a new SPS veterinary agreement,” he added.
“We have major concerns about the impact of the time running out.”
The Lakeland representative said that if companies are forced to re-certify, it will take a long time to implement in terms of re-certifying in the EU, warehouse product, batch test it etc, all within the EU.
“That ain’t a weekend job, that takes months and months. We do need an new SPS agreement, we do need veterinary medicines because farmers are terrified over this, our industry is really concerned about it and the impact from an all-island economy element, is massive,” Donohoe said.
The Lakeland spokesperson acknowledged that it may be “very difficult” to reach a resolution as both sides are “on different sides”.
“First of all, a new agreement is critical to guarantee the frictionless trade, the all-island economy, the integrity of international trade. I do believe it’s possible, it’s only the clarity that we want.”
