• • • Will animal feed supply be affected by Brexit?
The Irish Grain and Feed Association (IGFA) is one of organisations that being proactive ahead of the Brexit. Our high livestock population and a declining tillage area means this country imports a large amount of ingredients for animal feed. Minerals, trace elements and basic cereals are all products that we import from the UK. Many of these items have a short shelf-life and all come through the port. It’s a complicated business and farmers need to be sure of a constant supply.
Deirdre Webb – director of the IGFA – assured AgriLand that everything possible has been done by its members to ensure farmers have feed supplies. Animal feed supply should not be disrupted once March 29 arrives. The organisation has been working since June 2016 – with members – to avoid chaos in the case of a hard Brexit. However, feed availability is not expected to be affected at farm level in the short term. Forward planning by the IGFA members will help to maintain costs. In the short-term animal feed prices are not expected to rise due to Brexit, but this can not be guaranteed into the future.
“The reality is feed businesses will now make decisions to protect their farm customers just as we did in the fodder crisis. Some of these decision will mean walking away from long-term business relationships,” Deirdre Webb said.
Source: https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/will-animal-feed-supply-be-affected-by-brexit/
