Canada’s EU deal is worry for beef farmers

TWO independent West of Ireland public representatives have warned that the recent EU trade  deal with Canada – passed last week by the European Parliament – could have serious consequences for Irish beef and suckler farmers.

MEP Luke Ming Flanagan and TD Michael Fitzmaurice both said the deal – known as CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) – represented a ‘serious threat’ to the agri-food sector and the beef suckler herd in particular.

The free trade deal – passed last week in the European Parliament by 408 votes to 254 – follows lengthy negotiations between the EU and Canada to put in place far less restrictive trade arrangements.

According to MEP Flanagan, the EU has granted a beef export quota of 55,000 tonnes, more than likely to serve the higher quality end of the market.

“In that scenario, that 55,000 tonne quota could equate to the high value cuts of approximately 800,000 head of cattle.

“To put this in context, Ireland’s weekly kill is about 30,000 head – imports of this magnitude will decimate our beef industry,” said MEP Flanagan.

Roscommon/Galway TD, Michael Fitzmaurice, said that Ireland’s four Fine Gael MEPs, including Mairead McGuinness, voted for the CETA deal with all other Irish MEPs voting against it.

“With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit as well, this deal is potentially disastrous for the country and is coming at a very bad time.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.