ICSA delegation meets North parties

THE potential co-operation between North and south in relation to Ireland’s agriculture and food policy was discussed at separate meetings in Stormont yesterday between an ICSA delegation and the four main northern parties — DUP, SDLP, UUP and Sinn Féin.

ICSA president Malcolm Thompson, who led the delegation, said ways of capitalising on the island’s clean, green image as a basis of marketing beef and lamb were discussed.

The potential role of ICSA’s GM-free island strategy in supporting this image was also discussed as were prescription-only medicines, sheep tagging, live exports and cross border transport regulations.