Irish grain growers call on beef farmers to reject South American grains
Irish farmers taking part in a protest against the EU-Mercosur trade deal in Athlone on Saturday. Picture: Gareth Chaney / AFP via Getty Images
Irish tillage farmers have warned their struggling sector is a sign of what is to come for the Irish beef industry.
"Do not allow the same mistakes to be made," Irish Grain Growers Group chairperson James Kelly told the crowd protesting the Mercosur trade deal[/url[ in Athlone on Saturday.
Mr Kelly said Ireland produces "some of the world's highest quality beef and cereals", but explained the costs of meeting EU agricultural and climate standards meant produce here could not compete with imports from South America.
"We, as Irish tillage farmers, have been dealing with and competing with Mercosur countries for decades now," he said.
"We know the impact — 40% of the Irish tillage area has been lost in the past 40 years. The unlevel playing field is real for Irish tillage farmers.
"Ireland imported 750,000t of Mercosur feedstuffs in 2023, a similar figure in 2024, much of which is genetically modified — technology banned from use in the EU. We call on farmers to reject these grains and insist that their suppliers prioritise Irish grain, or EU grain in its absence.
"Last year, the EU exported 40 million tonnes of grain and feedstuff," he said, calling on livestock producers to publicly declare the volume of imported and local grain they use.
"The husbandry of the crops to provide the Mercosur feedstuffs uses chemicals banned in the EU for reasons including human health and environmental impact," he said.
Mr Kelly also called for the Irish Government to follow the example of the French, who have moved to block imports of plant products containing traces of five pesticides that are already banned in the EU.
