Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 May 2026.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds visits Northern Ireland to highlight how a UK-EU food and drink deal will cut red tape, lower costs and keep trade flowing.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds is visiting Northern Ireland this week to meet farmers, growers and businesses at the heart of its agri-food sector and discuss the benefits of the new UK–EU food and drink deal.

Northern Ireland already benefits from full EU market access, thanks to its unique position under the Windsor Framework. But for the first time since EU Exit, most food and drink goods moving from GB to NI will no longer require checks, including regulatory certificates that can cost between £80 and £200 each, saving businesses millions every year. Over the last three years, these charges for Export Health Certificates have cost businesses between £13m and £32m.

By cutting “paperwork tax” an SPS agreement will make trade easier for businesses, help British produce reach European markets and could help bring down the cost of food and drink.

The new SPS agreement is part of rebuilding the UK’s relationship with Europe in a way that strengthens the economy and supports trade, with the potential to boost UK GDP by up to £5.1 billion a year.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

We are cutting red tape and scrapping unnecessary checks, making it easier and cheaper to keep goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland’s food and drink businesses deserve a better deal. That means protecting the UK internal market, supporting businesses and giving families more choice, availability and value across Northern Ireland.

At the Balmoral Show on Thursday 14 May – Northern Ireland’s premier farming event – the Environment Secretary will meet stallholders and sector representatives from across the farming and horticultural communities, who will benefit from the removal of certification requirements for plants, seeds and used agricultural and forestry machinery. 

Northern Ireland Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Minister Matthew Patrick will also meet with farming community representatives and businesses at the Balmoral Show. He said:

Northern Ireland’s agrifood sector is of great importance to the UK economy and to our food security, and I’ve been hugely impressed by the high-quality produce on offer at the Balmoral Show.

It’s great that this deal will provide real benefits for consumers, helping to ensure availability and cut costs at a time when many are facing cost of living pressures.

The Environment Secretary and Borders Minister Baroness Hayman will also chair a roundtable discussion with members of the Confederation of British Industry, ensuring Northern Ireland businesses are represented in a deal that will cut paperwork, support choice and availability on supermarket shelves, and help ease food price inflation for families across Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Eddie Murphy, Country Director for M&S Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: 

We have over 20 stores and work with nearly 2,000 Select Farm partners in Northern Ireland.

This deal will remove unnecessary bureaucracy and reduce cost pressures, helping us to go further in offering Northern Irish customers the very best of M&S by speeding up the flow of goods and access to fresh produce.

The visit comes as the European Partnership Bill was announced at the State Opening of Parliament yesterday, kickstarting the legislative framework needed to implement the agreement and allow businesses to start realising its benefits from mid‑2027.

Along with the removal of the vast majority of food and drink checks, the new agreement will also dramatically reduce costs, paperwork and checks on flowers, plants and seeds moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while final restrictions on the movement of certain tree species will disappear.

Together, these changes will support Northern Ireland’s farmers, gardeners, garden centres, environmental projects and rural businesses, ensuring they can benefit fully from smoother trade with Great Britain.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• The Windsor Framework facilitates Northern Ireland’s ability to trade freely within both the UK internal market and the EU Single Market. This will remain in place, addressing NI’s unique dual market access and safeguarding the Good Friday agreement.  

What businesses in Northern Ireland can do now

• While negotiations continue, businesses can take practical steps to get ready:
• Engage with their relevant trade body or industry association: They will be key partners in providing sector-specific guidance and many are already working with government to help members prepare.
• Engage with your supply chain: To understand any changes that may apply to them.
• Sign up to Defra email alerts here for regular updates: To receive the latest information on negotiations, implementation timelines, and details of guidance and support available.
• Detailed guidance will be published as negotiations progress to ensure businesses across Northern Ireland – from farmers and processors to retailers and hauliers – are ready to benefit from day one.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 May 2026.

New strategy launched to strengthen UK preparedness against African and classical swine fever.

Plans to strengthen protections for pig farmers and industry have been stepped up today (Thursday 14 May) as the government introduces new measures in the event of a swine fever outbreak.

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a disease which affects pigs and wild boar and in recent years it has been circulating in parts of Asia and Africa, leading to the deaths of millions of pigs worldwide and causing significant disruption to the meat trade. The disease has also spread to parts of Europe through the movement of wild boar and human actions including moving infected meat.

Whilst there has never been an outbreak of ASF in the UK, the updated control strategy is an important part of the government’s plans to prevent and respond to a potential future outbreak. 

The revised strategy introduces a more flexible, risk-based framework designed to control disease effectively without imposing severe restrictions on famers and producers. It reflects the latest scientific and veterinary evidence and aligns with international best practice. 

A central feature of the update is the introduction of additional restricted zones (Restricted Zones 1, 2 and 3), which can be deployed depending on the situation. This will help farmers avoid blanket movement restrictions on live pigs and pork products, reducing pressures such as overcrowding and enabling day-to-day operations to continue more smoothly. 

The strategy, developed jointly with Scottish and Welsh Governments, also strengthens surveillance requirements. Veterinary inspectors will carry out visits to premises within disease control zones to verify compliance, while enhanced testing will support earlier detection of infection. These measures are expected to provide greater confidence in disease freedom, allowing restrictions to be lifted sooner. 

Risk-based movement licensing has been expanded to support both welfare and business continuity. Under veterinary oversight, pigs may be moved within zones for welfare reasons or to complete production cycles, helping to prevent overcrowding and maintain appropriate housing conditions. 

Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said:

This updated strategy reflects our commitment to working in partnership with farmers and the wider pig industry to manage disease risks effectively and protect a sector worth over £8 billion.  

These changes will help reduce unnecessary pressures on farmers and producers, maintain high standards of welfare, and ensure we are well prepared to respond quickly and confidently to any outbreak.

UK Chief  Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, said:  

Our updated swine fever disease control strategy will ensure that we are better prepared than ever before to respond swiftly and effectively to a potential outbreak of African and classical swine fevers.  

Enhanced surveillance and flexible movement licensing will help us detect disease earlier and protect our national herd whilst maintain essential farming operations in a biosecure manner. Whilst the disease is not present in Great Britain, we encourage all farmers to maintain strong biosecurity standards and familiarise themselves with the new measures.

Further updates include: 

• A clearer framework for implementing a national movement ban, ensuring restrictions are proportionate and lifted as soon as conditions allow.
• Greater flexibility in meat controls, allowing certain products from restricted zones to remain commercially viable under specific conditions.
• Detailed guidance on cleansing and disinfection procedures, helping producers plan for safe and timely restocking.

The duration of disease control zones has also been revised. For example, the minimum period for protection zones has been reduced to 15 days, down from 30-45, following initial cleansing and disinfection, subject to surveillance outcomes. This is expected to significantly reduce welfare pressures on farms while maintaining robust disease safeguards. 

The updated framework also strengthens the UK’s ability to apply regionalisation principles, helping to protect trade by enabling disease-free areas to continue exporting safely during an outbreak. 

ASF poses no risk to human health as it only affects pigs and related animals. Everyone can help to stop the spread of ASF to the UK by doing the following: 

• If you have visited ASF-affected areas in Europe, or elsewhere in the world, you must not bring any pork or pork products back to the UK. 
• Disposing of leftovers or food waste in secure bins that pigs or wildlife cannot access. 
• Farmers, the public and members of the food industry should practise high biosecurity standards, including never feeding catering waste, kitchen scraps or meat products to pigs which is illegal and can spread the disease. 

The Government continually monitors disease outbreaks around the world to assess whether there may be risks for the UK and takes action to limit the risk of the disease reaching our shores.