Although discussions concerning food labelling and its relative strengths / weaknesses often focus on issues of transparency with respect to the full disclosure of the ingredients found within a specific food product, this is but one of several possibly tumultuous related talking points. As the EU continues its push for country-of-origin labels, farmers, food manufacturers and governmental forces are taking sides in an effort to ensure that their own local economies are not adversely affected by these changes. One of the primary critics of new country of origin labelling schemes is Northern Due to a variety of concerns expressed by sheep farmers in and around the Ulster area, the North Ireland government is in the process of expressing their dismay with new labelling policies that could severely undermine the sheep industry in this region of the world. When asked for a comment on the issue, Union President Barclay Bell stated, This is a very complicated matter and we need to see both farm ministers, Michelle ONeill and Simon Coveney, take this issue up with Brussels as a matter of priority. Essentially, the chief complaint of Northern Ireland agriculture professionals is the migrant status attributed to sheep being imported from the Republic of Ireland. As prices for lamb meat continue to fall, experts in the area predict that at least one processing plant in the Republic of Ireland may close in upcoming months. Joe Byrne, the SDLP Vice-Chair of the Agriculture Committee has expressed his own frustration with the current situation, stating, The current lamb price crisis is causing havoc to sheep farmers selling Spring lambs at livestock marts where there are very few buyers from the Republic which is traditionally the case at this time of year. Byrne continued his discussion by outlining what perceived to be viable strategies for remedying the situation, stating, The Minister and senior DARD officials should be in Dublin every day dealing with the Republic Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to get the problem sorted once and for all. Food labelling remains one of the most controversial and often discusses topics within the food manufacturing industry today. As nations around the world continue to discuss and reform their labelling policies, controversies such as those being experienced currently in Northern Ireland will likely continue. It is, of course, in the best interest of all parties involved to resolve this current issue as smoothly and efficiently as possible. With luck, Northern Irelands agricultural economy will not sustain further damage with respect to food labelling.
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