Farmers oppose EU move to 99,000-tonne Mercosur beef offer

EU farmers opposed this week’s EU move to raise an offer on beef imports to 99,000 tonnes at low import tax rates, in trade talks with the Mercosur trade bloc, writes Stephen Cadogan.

“We need fair and balanced trade agreements which also ensure that our market is not oversupplied, otherwise growth and jobs in our rural areas will be threatened,” said Jean-Pierre Fleury of Copa and Cogeca, representing EU farmer organisations and agricultural co-op organisations.