THE IRISH Farmers Association has called on the Government to intervene with the European Commission to block any deal which would increase beef imports to the EU from Brazil.
It made the call following moves at the weekend by the commission to reopen the Mercusor negotiations with Brazil and other South American countries on beef imports.
Brazil has been severely hampered in its efforts to supply beef into Europe following an EU ban in 2008. The ban was inspired by the IFA when it launched an investigation in Brazil which exposed a lack of controls in the industry.
Brazil was exporting more than 180,000 tonnes of beef into the EU which was displacing Irish beef. The EU later lifted the ban but said beef should come only from inspected farms. Now only 1,900 farms are allowed to export here, a major drop from the 9,218 farms in the business before the ban.
In a weekend statement, IFA president John Bryan, who led the investigating team to Brazil, said opening the trade was potentially very damaging for the Irish beef sector and Irish economic recovery.