Farmers in Upper Bann ‘could lose £8m a year after Brexit’

Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd made the claim after receiving an answer to a written question from Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots.

Mr O’Dowd said: “I had asked the Minister how much money was received from various EU programmes by farmers in Upper Bann and for the last year figures are available the total was £7,874,123.

“Over these last five years Upper Bann farmers have received a total of nearly £40m worth of EU payments. With Brexit now a reality, future payments are at risk and farmers face a huge shortfall in income.

“The money received was for a variety of schemes under the Single Farm Payment and does not include other schemes under Pillar 2.

“The potential loss of this income is real and present, only last week it was revealed in a leaked memo from a top Downing Street official that the ‘Uk could prosper without an agri-food sector’. That shows the intent in Downing street.

Mr. O’Dowd said: “The loss of tens of millions of pounds of income to Upper Bann farmers will have a devastating impact on the local economy.

“This money was spent in local shops, suppliers and hardware stores.

“The farmer’s loss will be a loss to us all and is as a direct result of the reckless pursuit of the Brexit agenda.”