07/03/22 - Welsh port facilities, the NI Protocol and sheep's milk vodka

In July Britain will bring in new certificates and physical checks on goods coming in from the EU - they’ve been delayed several times - but the British Retail Consortium says they’re concerned the facilities at ports wont be ready in time - especially for goods coming across the Irish Sea into Wales. Two inspection points will be built in Wales by 2023 - until then limited checks will be done at temporary facilities at Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke.

All this week we’re looking at the Northern Ireland Protocol and what it means for food and farming. That’s a big sector in Northern Ireland which is a net exporter of food - to Great Britain, to the Republic of Ireland and to the rest of Europe. When we left the EU it was decided not to check goods leaving or entering at the border between the north and south of Ireland, but instead to do those checks at ports. And as part of the agreement, Northern Ireland follows EU rules on product standards.

And we meet the sheep farmers producing vodka from a by-product from cheese making.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons