Irish Farmers Association: Trade agreement ‘negative’ for Ireland

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has called on Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to intervene and prevent an exchange of offers on a trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur group of South American countries.

IFA chairman Jer Bergin said a Mercosur trade deal is unequivocally negative for Irish and European agriculture, and would damage Ireland beef sector.

Pursuing a Mercosur trade deal would additionally undermine the political credibility of EU/US trade negotiations, he said. Mr Bergin warned that a trade deal with the Mercosur group could result in the EU market being flooded with cheap beef from South America.