Aylward to produce EU sheep report

A former Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Liam Aylward, has been commissioned to produce a key report on the future of Europe’s €3.5 billion sheep sector.

The European Parliament’s agriculture committee asked Mr Alyward to prepare the report as the sector comes under growing pressure from lamb imports.

Mr Aylward is to invite sheep producers and processors from Ireland and other member states to attend a public consultative meeting in the Parliament in September.

The industry in Ireland generates income in excess of €250m annually. Ireland is the fifth largest producer of lamb in Europe.

Mr Aylward said his report will provide an opportunity to highlight the very high quality standards of European lamb, all of which is processed in EU approved abattoirs.

Special provision should be made in the context of any future world trade agreement to ensure that EU lamb producers can continue to provide 78% of all lamb consumed by EU citizens as they are doing at present.

“We must protect the EU against the efforts of Governments from outside the EU, and in particular, that of New Zealand from further accessing the EU marketplace,” he said.

“There are issues relating to labelling and traceability requirements concerning lamb imports into the EU from third countries that must and will be addressed by this report,” he said.