The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association said they opposed the trade deal with Mercosur which it said could result in tariff free beef flooding the EU market which would have ‘devastating’ impacts on Irish beef exports.

ICSA President Patrick Kent said the Mercosur proposal would be utterly disastrous for the beef sector.

“Irish beef cannot be expected to compete on European markets with South American beef which is produced to a very different standard, where environmental damage is ignored and where labour standards and pay conditions are totally different.

“Import tariffs provided some balance, so any proposal to undermine these will be disastrous and the impact on Irish exports would be serious.

“It’s not just Irish farmers who will be affected; it’s all EU beef farmers. What is the EU for, if it is not for supporting a viable agriculture sector in Europe?”

The EU has reportedly offered Mercosur an annual beef import quota of 78,000 tons – a move the ICSA claims the Irish beef industry will not be able to withstand.

ICSA is focusing on the EU Commission in response to the excessively weak negotiating position taken by the Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström without any democratic mandate, they said.

Irish Farmers’ Association President Joe Healy has called for the unconditional removal of sensitive products, in particular beef, from any offer on Mercosur being considered by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.