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The Irish Farmers Association has said that all beef imports to the European Union should be “immediately suspended” in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
IFA President Tim Cullinan said the Mercosur Trade Agreement, which would allow the importation of large volumes of beef into the EU, should also be suspended in the event that no agreement is reached.
He said the export of beef to the UK could be severely affected by tariffs if there is no deal.
Mr Cullinan told the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee that he would be very concerned that the UK could reach an agreement on beef imports with a third country in the event of no agreement.
Ireland is just weeks away from a possible “doomsday scenario,” he says @voteTimLombard a no-deal Brexit could have the biggest impact on the agriculture sector since the 1950s, tells the Committee, questions the readiness of the agri-food sector
– Fran McNulty (@franmcnulty) December 8, 2020
He said such a development could involve the import of cheap beef or chlorinated chicken.
Irish beef would need an export exit from the EU in that case, he said, adding that he had the support of many people in Brussels to address that situation in the event that no deal was reached.
Cullinan said Ireland’s dependence on the United Kingdom as a place to export food was worth € 5.5 billion last year, and the IFA estimated that imposing tariffs on that level of exports could cost € 1.5 billion a year.
If that situation materializes, he said, the sector will need what he described as “adequate compensation.”
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Meanwhile, Cullinan also attacked Bord Bia, accusing the organization of not finding new markets before Brexit.
He told the committee that it was too late, but he had been asking them to do this for the past two years.
Bord Bia, a semi-state body responsible for the marketing of Irish food, drink and horticulture, has previously estimated that 37% of Irish food exports go to the UK.
Mr Cullinan said there was a special need for alternative markets for Irish beef. He told the committee that “there is no point looking for them tonight when we are at the crisis point.”
The IFA president was responding to a question from Senator Paul Daly, who asked if new opportunities could arise from Brexit.
He noted that UK potatoes, which are used to make French fries, could be prevented from entering Ireland after Brexit.
Tim Cullinan said that growing this type of potato, known as a table or seed potato, would take considerable time. However, he said the IFA will study this possibility with members.
On the other hand, Cullinan said there are many vegetable growers in Ireland who lose out at Christmas every year when supermarkets lower their prices. He said it was not unusual to see vegetables imported from abroad while Irish vegetables were left on the ground.
He said it was important for retailers to choose Irish products and he hoped that consumers would also support Irish products.
The vice president of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, which represents farmers on marginalized, mountainous and designated lands, said Brexit could provide an opportunity for Ireland to become more self-sufficient.
Henry O’Donnell said sheep farmers could increase production “in a relatively short period of time” if they thought it was worth it.
Additional info: Tommy Meskill
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