The Catholic development agency, Trocaire, has urged caution towards calls for an increase in subsidies under the export refund scheme for beef "exports to Third World countries.

Such an increase has been suggested by the Minister for Agriculture, and is expected to feature on the agenda of next week's meeting of the EU council of agriculture ministers.

Trocaire warned that the EU's dumping of beef in West Africa during the 1980s and early 1990s had destroyed the market supply of local farmers, ruining their livelihoods.

The experience of EU beef exports for Third Worlds countries had been disastrous for their farmers and for overall food security, the agency said in a statement.