This article is from page 36 of the 2008-03-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
THE Irish Farmers Association are gearing up for a major fight in the coming days on the issue of the World Trade Organisation. That was the message that came from an emer- gency meeting of the IFA Executive Council in Portlaoise on Thursday night.
The meeting was called in response to what the IFA called “the immedi- ate threat that the EU Trade Com- missioner, Peter Mandelson, would sell out Irish agriculture and particu- larly the beef and livestock sector”.
Michael Treacy from IFA’s Brus- sels office attended the meeting and update the Council on Mandelson’s latest maneuverings.
“The details were discussed and the prospects of the halving of beef prices to 60p/Ib, 1f Mandelson is not stopped, was top of the agenda,” said IFA President, Padraig Walshe.
The hit on Ireland would be at least €2 billion n per year with the loss of our suckler cow herd and thousands of jobs in the meat industry and on the supply side.
“On lamb under the Mandelson’s proposal, sheep farmers face a mas- sive increase in imports with Aus- tralia adding thousands of tones to even greater New Zealand volumes.
“The main dairy products – butter, skimmed milk powder and cheddar cheese – face tariff cuts of up to 70 per cent which would undermine the EU market and damage Irish milk
prices.
“It would be unrealistic to expect the farming community and rural people to vote for the Lisbon Treaty while Mandelson is planning the de- struction of the Irish and European family farm structure.”
An indication of the seriousness of the situation is that the IFA President has also invited County Vice Chair- man and Secretaries to the meeting, who together with County Chair- men will form action teams for each county.
Speaking ahead of the meeting Clare IFA President, Michael Lynch, said that the local beef industry now hangs in the balance.
“The WTO could have serious con- sequences for Irish agriculture,” he
PHO
“The last round of the WTO result- ed in the termination of the Irish sug- arbeet industry. It is the intentions of EU trade negotiator Peter Mandleson to offer tariff cuts to encourage cheap food to Europe from South America and other sub-standard countries in lieu off commercial banking and other commodity industries.
‘European agriculture is being sac- rificed at the negotiation table in Ge- neva, stated the County Chairman.”