Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Marc Mac Sharry, has said the government have let down farming families across the North West as it emerges that the deal around Mercosur edges ever closer.
He commented, “It is being strongly reported that a deal is imminent, with the EU rumoured to be willing to give additional access to South American beef which will flood the Irish market and reduce prices for hard working families here at home.
“It has been mooted that up to 100,000 tonnes of beef access had been agreed to and informally agreed at EU level with Mercosur countries.
“This Fine Gael led government has failed to put up any real fight at European level and accepted the Commission’s offer of at least 70,000 extra tonnes of South American Mercosur beef into Europe back in Autumn 2017. Now, estimated figures tell us it could be as much as 100,000 tons.
“The government have consistently failed the farming community. Surely, they can see that this deal will have detrimental effects on the beef sector. This deal, timed months before a possible no deal Brexit, could cause chaos in the North West for farmers.
“The government must assure the estimated numbers involved in this deal will not be final in any concluded agreement as it would undermine all that farmers in my constituency have worked for,” concluded Deputy Mac Sharry.
