The EU’s set to vote on the Mercosur trade deal today but the IFA still believes it can be stopped.
Member states are expected to back the agreement with South American countries, unless more countries show opposition to it.
Ireland is among those planning to oppose it due to farmers’ concerns about the standard of imported beef, with France and Hungary too set to take that stance
IFA President, Laois man Francie Gorman says his organisation’s members will not give up on stopping it, saying; “Look, it’s been 25 years in the offing and we’d be still saying that until it’s signed it’s not done and look even if it is agreed at Council level on Friday we then move onto ratification at Parliament and I was always clear in my own head that if was going to be stopped the best chance of stopping it is through the European Parliament”.
But MEP Billy Kelleher believes it will carry through – he and Irish Farmers Journal journalist Amy Forde joined our Matt O’Keeffe on last night’s The Farm Show;
On today’s The KCLR Daily, Carlow Kilkenny Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness and Kilkenny Fine Gael Councillor David Fitzgerald outlined their views;
