Video: ‘Pundonderry’ MLA Mark Durkan gets Edwin Poots to say ‘dairy’

Mr. Durkan made the quip after asking the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) about the continued export of raw milk North to South after the Brexit transition period.

“I had a wee bet with my colleague here that I could get the Minister to say ‘Derry’,” he confessed.

On a serious note the Derry MLA continued: “This is obviously an issue of huge concern to dairy farmers. Is the Minister in a position to give them any reassurance or confidence that he has had negotiations with the host country and that it will continue to accept bulk imports?”

The agriculture minister said the export of raw milk over the border would continue after the transition period.

This is important because around a quarter of raw milk produced in the North is sold to the South where it is then processed into cheese and sold around the world.

There had been fears this would be disrupted by Brexit.

But Mr. Poots said: “During the transition period following the UK’s exit from the EU, the export of raw milk from NI to the Republic of Ireland continues as previously.

"After the transition period, under the NI protocol, raw milk will still be able to be exported to the Republic of Ireland without tariffs or additional checks.”

Notwithstanding this Mr. Poots said he would prefer to see raw milk produced in the North processed here.

“I will be perfectly honest: I do not want to see the milk processed in the Republic of Ireland; I want to see it processed here. I want the jobs to be here. I want to see milk plants in Artigarvan, which is not far from the Member’s constituency, actually upping the amount of milk that is processed there.”

The Principal Deputy Speaker Chris Stalford joked: “I thank the Member for ‘Pundonderry’ for being very quick in his question.”