Mercosur impact on Irish beef
Deputy Crowe warned that a Mercosur deal would harm Clare’s suckler-beef farmers and emphasised the high standards of Irish production. The Taoiseach agreed Irish beef is world-class, said concerns remain about Mercosur countries’ production systems, and repeated that Ireland is working with like-minded states and has secured additional safeguards.
County Clare is the heartland of suckler beef, with 85% of farming in the county being suckler beef-based. I farm myself. We have Hereford, shorthorn and Dexter cattle. It does not sit well with farmers in Clare and other counties in the west that we could enter a Mercosur deal. The type of cattle we raise in the west are pasture-based for seven months or eight months of the year. Then they are housed indoors and fed silage. It a very environmentally friendly way. It goes from field to fork very quickly. The standards are so high, with genomics, Bord Bia and annual TB testing. The standard of beef from the animal, and the care of animal is so high. It does not sit well that we should have to meet these increased standards in terms of reducing our greenhouse gases, yet there could be a possibility of felling rainforest and bringing in an inferior animal from Brazil or other parts of South America as part of Mercosur. What will the Government be doing? We would like some reassurances.
Finally, I wish the Ceann Comhairle, the staff and Members of the House a very happy Christmas.
Comment on this
I agree with the Deputy about the quality of Irish beef and the quality of the Irish food production system. It is one of the highest in the world and certainly very high in the European league table. I understand fully and that is why we have concerns with certain issues in terms of the Mercosur countries and their food production systems, although there have been dramatic changes since Lula da Silva returned to power after Bolsonaro, with deforestation being halved. We have agreed to work with like-minded countries. Additional safeguards have been put in place compared to where it was a year ago, and no vote has been taken. It is very uncertain whether any will be taken this year. As we speak, about 200,000 tonnes are imported into Europe under existing arrangements. The change would be 99,000 tonnes of that 200,000 tonnes at a lower tariff entry rate. Meanwhile, Irish exports continue to increase across the board. In beef and dairy in particular, we are at record high levels. We are penetrating new markets as well and we will continue to work on that.