Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed faced an angry response from farmers at the Charleville Agricultural Show in Co Cork today, following the completion of trade negotiations yesterday that paved the way for a significant increase in the importation of cheaper beef from South America into the lucrative EU consumer market.
She told the minister she was extremely annoyed, and that he was a brave man to tour the agricultural show the day after the deal was announced. MEP Sean Kelly said that it looked like the outgoing EU Commission wanted to leave a legacy, but that the new elected European Parliament will have to take a look at the deal.
The president of the ICMSA, representing dairy farmers, said he is extremely concerned about the consequences, adding that it incorporated a degree of betrayal over climate obligations and hypocritical food standards. But the commissioner said Europe was on the defensive on beef, poultry, sugar and ethanol, with the Mercosur bloc insisting on greater market access for those products in Europe.
He also said that the deal included safeguards in relation to food safety and environmental standards, and that it ties Brazil into a commitment not to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement.
He doesn't care.
No concern for the standards there and 'farm to fork' traceability. People won't have a clue what they are eating. Climate change impact - forests being cut down not to mention transport half way across the world. EU sold us out again like they did with the bank bailout.
The former Rose of Tralee MariaWalshEU is on the case,her reply to farmers.....Suckers
Any meat imported into the EU should meet the same rules and regulations Irish all EU farmers have to meet.
Dig deep comrades, the Irish farmers need their CAP and tariff protection
People will just need to buy Irish.