IFA has beef with visiting PM as Howard belittles EU offer at WTO

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister John Howard came under fire from the Irish Farmers Association yesterday for claiming that the European Union offer on agriculture in the world trade talks was very restrictive, while the United States offer was generous.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said the statement by Mr Howard, who was on an official visit to Dublin, is not borne out by the facts.

Accusing the Australian leader of duplicity, Mr Walshe said Mr Howard’s real agenda was to destroy the family farm structure of European agriculture and to have the European food market supplied by Australian ranchers.