IFA warns that EU trade deal with South American Mercosur will be damaging for beef trade

A trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur group of South American countries will be extremely damaging for agriculture here especially the beef trade, the Irish Farmers Association has warned.

IFA National Livestock Committee chairman Henry Burns said an analysis by the European Commission shows a Mercosur deal would inflict losses of €7.8bn on agriculture but the losses at farm level would be much higher.

He said Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and European Parliament members must come out strongly against such a deal and defend farmers and their sector.