State urged to support meat industry

THE Government has been urged to ensure the future of the country’s beef industry is defended and not sacrificed in European Union attempts to reach a new world trade deal.

Meat Industry Ireland, representing processors, made the call, after claiming that a blatant “softening-up” process by the European Commission in the context of the WTO negotiations is extremely worrying for Irish and European agriculture.

MII said the EU offer on import access has simply been banked by other WTO partners such as the USA and Brazil without any equivalent or reciprocal moves on their part, either on agriculture or industrial products.