The EU must support Kerry’s Agri-food sector

Sheila Nunan visits Tralee for Tralee Food Festival.

Ireland South European election candidate, Sheila Nunan, is in Tralee today to meet with the many local producers sharing their wares at the Tralee Food Festival. Ms Nunan used the opportunity to engage with local stakeholders about their Brexit concerns and said: 

“I am delighted to be in Tralee today to meet with local producers, business owners and those working within the agri-food sector and to discuss their concerns in relation to the impact of Brexit on their businesses.” 

Responding to concerns of producers Ms Nunan, who is a former director of Irish agri-food educational body, Agri Aware, stated “Everyone in the agri-food sector here in Kerry, from large producers and employers to smaller artisan producers, is concerned about the impact of Brexit on their markets. It is clear that there has been a marked disturbance due to the threat of Brexit, it is already being felt on the ground here in Kerry. The agri-food sector has been influenced greatly by the Brexit uncertainty and by the fluctuation of sterling.”

Ms Nunan, called for an EU-funded support package to stabilise the industry and safeguard incomes as we face into the huge uncertainty of the months ahead,

“Those businesses both large and small; farmers, fishermen and business owners, need some certainty as we face into the uncertain future ahead. This support package, will need to be substantial enough to offset some of the losses suffered by those working in these industries.”