Members of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) along with the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) came together to join a protest against the Mercosur trade deal today (Tuesday, November 5), which was organised by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA).
Just under 100 protesters gathered outside Leinster House in an aim to highlight the “severe threat” the agreement poses to Irish agriculture and rural communities.
It is understood that the European Commission is planning to finalise the controversial agreement at the G20 summit which takes place in Brazil this month.
ICSA beef committee chair John Cleary said that Irish beef is “world renowned”, and “a premium product”.
“We will not stand for the detriment of an inferior product coming on our shelves, competing with what we’re doing to the best of our ability. Irish farmers feel, that this going forward could be the end of rural Ireland,” Cleary said.
He said that it will also impact other agricultural sectors and that it was good to see “fellow farm organisations standing shoulder to shoulder” voicing concerns over the trade deal.
Mercosur deal
As French farmers announced a fresh wave of nationwide protests over the deal to take place this month, Cleary said that Irish farmers are “showing support with them” by protesting among other organisations.
National vice-president of the INHFA, John Joe Fitzgerald said that he was protesting to ensure that the next generation are able to farm in “the way they want to do it”.
“We want the government to come out, make a strong statement that they’re going to back Irish farming and fight our corner,” Fitzgerald said.
He called on the government to make a statement before an election is called and before the dáil is dissolved. An election is expected to be called later this week.
IFA president Francie Gorman echoed the calls of the other organisations, and said that if the deal came into place “in its current form” that it would “destroy the Irish beef industry”.
At a recent IFA conference held at The Curragh, Co. Kildare, Taoiseach Simon Harris told attendees that under the current deal, Mercosur could not be signed off on. Gorman said that he expects the Taoiseach to “stand to his word on that”.