The Independent Farmers Organisation of Ireland (IFOI) has called for the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement to be scrapped entirely.

The farm organisation believes that safeguards proposed by EU Commission as part of the controversial deal will not protect farmers or consumers.

The proposed agreement would allow an additional 99,000t of beef from the four Mercosur countries enter the EU at a much-reduced tariff rate of 7.5%, as well as 180,000t of poultry.

However, European farmers are concerned that cheap South American beef will flood the market, which they say is produced at a lower standand than what is required in the EU.

The European Commission said it has put forward an "unprecedented, targeted toolbox" that includes safeguards against market disturbances, along stronger checks and controls on imports.

Mercosur

Seamus Shannon of IFOI told Agriland that "no tweak" to the agreement will protect farmers and consumers.

"The only acceptable outcome is the abolition of the deal, the safeguards are not acceptable in any way, shape or form," he said.

The IFOI said that in "recent weeks as the much lauded safeguards included in the text were seen through farmers and farm organisations became increasingly animated".

Shannon said that without a level playing field in how beef is produced Irish and European farmers will be undercut by the Mercosur countries.

He said that only in the past 18 months have Irish beef farmers been paid properly for their cattle. "Now there's an agreement that threatens all of that," he said.

He also raised the risk posed to the Irish poultry sector which he said could be "decimated" by this deal.

Government

Shannon said that the IFOI is annoyed at the "cynical" behaviour of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for not confirming their intention to vote against the deal earlier than yesterday.

He claimed that the two government parties waited until it was clear Italy would back the agreement before confirming their position.

"They waited to see if the deal would go through and that their opposition wouldn't compromise the deal," he said.

"The government silence only served to draw that wrath of a public who feel ignored and increasingly disregarded by the current government, and the government narrative of 'working with like minded countries' without declaring on which side they were coalescing, only served to convert concern into anger among the farming community," he added.

Earlier today, a majority of EU member states voted in favour of the controversial trade deal which will now go back to the European Parliament for MEPs to have their say, potentially later this month.

The only countries which voted against the deal today were: Ireland; France; Hungary; Poland and Austria. Belgium abstained.

The trade deal must still be voted on by MEPs in the EU Parliament.

The IFOI has urged both farmers and consumers to support the anti-Mercosur protest being organised by Independent Ireland in Athlone tomorrow (Saturday, January 10).