Mercosur deal will hit GAA, schools, pubs, warns Laois farm leader

The Mercosur trade deal that could see 99,000 tonnes of South American beef imported to Ireland and other EU States will have an impact on rural communities in Laois and other counties, with GAA clubs among those that could suffer, according to the Laois President of the IFA.

As d-day looms for the deal with Brazil, Argentina and other countries, Francie Gorman spoke in the Dáil about the implications of Mercosur for community life in rural areas.

"If it undermines the value of the beef trade or stops that value increasing, it will have an impact. We have a vibrant beef industry in this country. We sell 90% of what we produce abroad. It adds immeasurably to every parish in rural Ireland.

"We saw in the past ten years that, when beef price and margins were under pressure, it impacted on suckler cow numbers in certain parts of the country and there was a lack of agricultural activity in those areas," he said.

Mr Gorman told the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food, which was chaired by Laois TD Willie Aird, what the loss of income caused by Mercosur would mean outside farming.

"If there is no farming in those areas, there will be no local co-op stores, churches, schools, pubs, GAA clubs, rugby clubs, soccer clubs, everything needed to keep a community vibrant. If you do not have the economic activity that agriculture generates, you are struggling.

"We can see that already, particularly in our schools and GAA clubs," he said.

The Ballinakill man said the IFA's understanding is that beef cannot be removed from the deal, which he said makes it the biggest sticking point in getting the deal agreed in Europe.

READ ALSO: Laois farmers urged to unite against Mercosur at protest in Midlands

He said an EU deal with Australia 'fell asunder' because they were offered 20,000 tonnes.

"Achieving these deals is predicated on the European Union selling out farmers. To be clear, it is 99,000 tonnes of prime cuts coming in, in fresh and frozen form, which is the equivalent of almost 4 million cattle.

"On foot of that, the quotas that are there are going to be reduced to tariff-free, which means the overall tariff on the beef coming in will be about 7% and it will be coming in in prime cut form. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Laois IFA protested against Mercusor in Brussels before Christmas.

READ ALSO: IFA president from Laois demands farming future for son in front farmers from across Europe

"It completely undermines the value of our industry here. I do not see any way beef could be taken out of this deal and still have it go ahead. Our position is that, in its current form, beef should never have been in this deal. We should not be used as a bargaining chip. The production of food to feed people is too important to be sidelined or undermined in any trade deal. It should be separate," he said.

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay are the four main members of the Mercosur trade bloc. Venezuela is suspended while Bolivia in the process of accession. Associate members include Chile, Colombia, and Peru.