The president of the Irish Charolais Cattle Society, Aiden MacHale, has called on all farmers to support the anti-Mercosur trade deal protest planned for Saturday, January 10, in Athlone.

In a statement to farmers, the Charolais cattle breed society president said: "As president of our society, I'm asking for all pedigree breeders, suckler farmers and beef farmers to attend the rally on January 10 in Athlone against the Mercosur deal.

Speaking to Agriland this morning (Friday, January 2), MacHale, who is farming in Ballina, Co. Mayo, said he expects at least five full 50-seater buses of farmers from Co. Mayo to attend the protest.

He believes that if the Mercosur deal goes ahead, the decline in suckler beef cattle numbers in Ireland will increase further.

MacHale said: "If you have no beef [cattle in Ireland], you have no suckling cow, and if you have no suckling cow, you don't need any pedigree bulls."

Mercosur trade deal

The Mercosur trade deal will allow 99,000t carcass weight of Mercosur beef - mainly from Brazil - to enter the EU at a much reduced tariff rate of 7.5%. The quantity of beef under this quota will be phased in over a five-year period.

Referring to the decline in suckler cow numbers in Ireland, MacHale told Agriland that "Where I live in Co. Mayo, it's bad enough as it is.

"In the west of Ireland, as far as I'm concerned, we have the best suckling cows in the country, we have the best climate and we have the best beef and they're going to finish it altogether [if the proposed deal goes ahead].

"I go to a knowledge transfer course [for beef farmers]. I'm 62 and I'd say I'm the third youngest person in it.

"There's no young people going into it [suckler farming] and just when the job was going well, people were getting very interested in going back into suckler cows because of the price of the weanling.

"There is a great interest back in the last year with the price of beef and weanlings, and now you have this looming."