EU-Mercosur deal concern for Westmeath farmers
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At the Westmeath IFA meeting, Adrian Gallagher, national chair, IFA sheep Committee; Richard O’Brien, Westmeath IFA chair; Bernie McCarthy, Westmeath IFA; William Dolan, IFA regional executive; and John Bagnall, Westmeath IFA county secretary.Image 2 of 2
A delegation from Westmeath IFA who lobbied Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran on issues including Acres, GAEC-2, Nitrates Derogation, Mercosur and Bovine TB, Adrian Elliott, Richard O’Brien, Westmeath IFA chair, Minister of State Moran (Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works), and Westmeath IFA county secretary John Bagnall.Westmeath IFA held their April meeting in Bloomfield House Hotel Mullingar, when the guest speaker Adrian Gallagher, and the national chair of the IFA’s Sheep Committee, gave an overview of the sheep sector.
Other topics covered included an update on paying farmers for meeting requirements under the good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC) 2. Those payments may form part of a further simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The meeting participants discussed the IFA’s continued opposition to the EU-Mercosur trade deal and the potential impact on the future viability of Irish suckler and beef farmers.
Previous analysis suggests the Irish beef sector could be hit for between €100m and €130m because of its export profile.
The Westmeath IFA County chair Richard O’Brien told the Examiner the trade deal is a hot topic of conversation among farmers: “We had a talk about the EU-Mercosur trade deal. There is a concern about whether our political representatives will give voice to the reservations Irish farmers have about that deal.
“We are committed to talking to our TDs and other politicians and we hope to get a positive reaction on that front.”
John Bagnall, county secretary for Westmeath IFA, said the guest speaker was popular: “We had our national sheep chair, Adrian Gallagher, gave a presentation of where the sheep trade is at and the challenges facing us at the moment.
"On the agenda was lamb prices, market outlook, the sheep welfare scheme, the ‘no dogs allowed’ campaign, and the wool outlook.”