Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has strongly criticised the UK government for a rapid change in testing regulations affecting the movement of agricultural machinery used from the UK to Northern Ireland.
Industry stakeholders issued an email on June 13th on June 13th and an email on June 23rd on June 13th, giving industry stakeholders a mere five business day notice.
UFU described the timeline as “completely unacceptable,” pointing to “a fundamental failure in communication” from related departments.
Union President William Irvine expressed deep frustration, accusing the minister of not touching on the reality of agriculture.
“Our industry is already tackling complex post-Brexit realities, but the notion that a warning from just five business days can absorb such dramatic operational changes is beyond absurd,” he said.
“It shows an astonishing disconnect between policymakers and the rough reality of agricultural life,” he added, criticizing the government for “failing to convey these important messages to those who actually move machines between the GB and NI.”
The union says the new requirements are directly inconsistent with guarantees made by the government more than a year ago.
These include the continued use of Northern Ireland Plant Health Labels (NIPHL) of machinery remaining in Northern Ireland, the expansion of the Plant Health Export Audited Trader Scheme (Pheats) for advance sales to the EU, and faster inspections by the Animal and Plant Health Organization (APHA).
“We have a ‘new communications campaign’ that promises ‘simple and easy to use’ NIPHL and ensure that its benefits are well understood,” Irvine said.
“The Pheats scheme has been extended to allow GB companies to self-consider sales in the EU or to accelerate APHA testing within a small amount of two days.
“These were strict commitments issued by the government itself to provide flexibility and ease. But what we witnessed was the cynical dismantling of these assurances.”
The UFU also dismissed the government’s claim that the new check aims to improve relations between the UK and the EU, saying the measures instead place unnecessary difficulties on businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland.
“The decision that a machine entering the NI under the NIPHL will never enter the Republic of Ireland shows a clear lack of a deep understanding of the nature of bordered farms,” Irvine said.
“This is not about protecting our island. It’s a bureaucratic over-excess mode that we can’t grasp basic agriculture and economic geography.”
The union warned that the episode reflects a broader failure in how the Windsor framework is implemented.
He emphasized that ongoing short-term rules changes and broken promise changes undermined trust and trust within the agricultural sector.
