NI Protocol: Ian Paisley says as of this Friday Northern Irish organic eggs can't be sold in Great Britain

The North Antrim MP said during a debate on the Protocol that the change has the potential to put producers “effectively out of business”.

The News Letter contacted both agriculture ministry DAERA and the UFU, but neither responded.

Upper Bann MLA Carla Lockhart had made a similar point in Farming Life last week.

At that time she said: “The EU last year required member states to define ‘young birds’ that would be permitted 95% organic diets. Any birds over the defined age must be fed 100% organic feed.

"Due to the Protocol, a derogation was put in place for the local industry, but this is due to expire on February 24, and the industry have been told it is unlikely to be renewed.

"This poses an existential threat to some local producers.

“To meet the EU requirements of 100% organic will substantially increase cost and reduce quality.

"That will likely make Northern Ireland based organic egg production sold into GB uncompetitive and thus very damaging to the prospects of organic egg production in Northern Ireland.

"The 24th February is fast approaching, and we need solutions in place.”

And in the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Paisley said: “At the end of this week, regulations which affect the organic sale of eggs will put our egg industry effectively out of business because they'll cut off our market here in the UK, here in GB, we won't be able to market them in GB.”

He said this is because of “a regulation from Europe says our organic egg products must be prod in a particular way that's only appealing to the European market” – a market which is of little relevance to the producers.

He later re-stated his point on the subject, saying: “The market is the UK, it's not the Republic of Ireland.

"And yet as of Friday this week, because of EU regulations applying to NI, we, our farmers, cannot sell eggs to the rest of the UK.”