Member

As I said at the outset, there is a huge argument here around food security. Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector is the cornerstone of the UK’s food supply. It is worth £8.4 billion, it employs around 113,000 people and I am proud to say that it feeds 10 million people every year. Northern Ireland represents just 3% of the UK population, yet we produce 25% of the UK’s food. By comparison, Britain produces enough food for about 40 million of its 70 million population. Undermining farming in Northern Ireland is not simply a regional issue; it is a whole UK food security risk.