A delegation from the Ulster Farmers' Union negotiated with protesting Scottish farmers on the docks at Stranraer last night to ensure lorries carrying Northern Irish beef were allowed through a picket on the port.
Mr Trevor Lockhart of the UFU told Scottish farmers that his organisation fully supported their protests, which had been directed against beef imports from the Republic.
"We look forward to working with you to make this government and Brussels realise that the farmers of the UK are on their knees. This government seems to be prepared to stand idly by and that is not good enough," Mr Lockhart said in an address to a group of some 150 protesting farmers at Stranraer.
On Wednesday night up to 20 lorries carrying beef from both Northern Ireland and the Republic were prevented from passing through a picket of more than 1,000 farmers.
Mr Lockhart said the aim of the 14-man UFU delegation was to ensure that the organisers of the protest could distinguish between consignments from the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Three trucks carrying Northern Irish beef were eventually allowed through the picket after UFU representatives inspected the beef and accompanying documentation with protest leaders.
There were no consignments of beef from the Republic on the early evening sailing into Stranraer.
One of the organisers of the protest, Mr John McIntosh of the Scottish Beef Council, said they were trying to bring the British government to its senses. "All we want is a level playing field".
He said the action was not just against Irish farmers but all imports.
Mr Ian Evans from Garlieston said the situation was so bad for Scottish farmers that all imports had to be stopped.
"All we are doing is creating our own market and unfortunately that is at the expense of the Southern Irish farmers".