Mercosur opposition will not stop- ICSA

ICSA president Sean McNamara has said the Mercosur trade deal would devastate Irish farming and rural communities and must be stopped.

“This deal would be nothing short of a betrayal of Irish farmers, forcing them to compete with cheap, lower-standard imports that have been produced at a fraction of the cost. Our opposition to this deal will not waver,” he said.

The local farmer, whose holding straddles the Cavan-Westmeath border, was speaking following an ICSA Rally Against Mercosur held outside Leinster House this week.

“Irish farmers uphold some of the world’s highest standards in traceability, environmental protection, and animal welfare - standards that come with considerable costs. It is simply wrong to expect Irish farmers to compete with beef that does not meet the same regulatory and ethical standards.”

“We will not stand by while our family farms are sacrificed so that multinational corporations in the motor, white goods, and pharmaceutical sectors can profit. Our farmers and rural communities deserve better than to be treated as collateral damage in a hypocritical deal that actually makes a mockery the EU’s commitment to sustainable agriculture."

Mr McNamara said ICSA was thankful for the support of other farming organisations on the day of the rally. "We stand united in opposition to this harmful deal. I would especially like to thank IFA president Francie Gorman, INHFA vice president John Joe Fitzgerald, and the Irish Rural Association for joining us, as well as ICMSA president Denis Drennan for his message of solidarity."

ICSA Beef chair John Cleary added, “We are now calling on all national political parties, candidates in the upcoming election, and elected MEPs to stand with Irish food producers and commit to opposing this deal. It is imperative that we secure cross-party opposition to prevent this betrayal of our primary food producers."