Geneva talks crucial to farming

IT is going to be a crucial week for Irish farmers in the world trade negotiations in Geneva.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said yesterday the future of the Irish beef industry would be on the table. He called on Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan to veto further concessions that European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson might offer.

Mr Walshe said the IFA was extremely concerned at the determination of EU negotiators to push for a deal that would open up the European beef market to almost unlimited imports from Brazil.

He said he had written to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urging him to use all his influence through every possible channel to resist the sell-out of European farm families.

Mr Walshe said IFA representatives will join farm leaders in Geneva, from across the EU and from countries like Switzerland, Norway, Japan and Korea in their fight to preserve the family farm structure of agriculture for the future.

“IFA’s assessment is that the full impact of the EU offer already on the table would be a reduction of about €1.2bn, or 27%, in the value of agricultural output, and a reduction of €800m, or 36%, in national farm income,” he said.

The country’s co-ops and dairy sector have jointly urged the Government to maintain its strong opposition to any further concessions by the EU on agriculture in the talks.

The ICOS and the Irish Dairy Industries Association, which will also be represented in Geneva, said in a letter to Ms Coughlan the outcome of the negotiations is of vital importance to the future competitiveness and development of the Irish dairy sector. The key point in a joint position paper they have prepared is the Luxembourg CAP reform was agreed on the basis that it would provide for the Doha WTO agreement.

EU negotiators must stay within these mandate limits say the ICOS. They should not make further concessions on agriculture as the EU offers to date exceed the Luxembourg Agreement and the mandate.

ICSA president Malcolm Thompson has welcomed what he described as the apparent hardening of attitudes amongst EU member states towards any more manoeuvrability at the trade talks. He said, while the prospects of a deal being done in Geneva this week looks more difficult, the ICSA remain deeply concerned the EU will cave in on key issues at the last minute rather than see the talks collapse.