Farmers need Govt support on crucial WTO deal

An outcome could be reached later on today (Wednesday) or at the end of the week for a deal to be made at the WTO talks in Geneva. Farmers nationwide have understandably called for a veto in these talks, fearing their livelihoods - and those of thousands of associated agri-services jobs - will be jeopardised if EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson decides to sell out Ireland"s beef industry, something which he denies he"ll do. The tariff concessions being offered by Mandelson, which would cost the Irish economy €4 billion per year, would decimate the Irish beef industry, according to the IFA. All enterprises of farming are at risk but the beef sector is surely the crux of the WTO headache for farmers and the IFA are rightly fighting tooth and nail to protect it. As for the prospect of the veto being granted, it is too early in the process, according to Tanaiste Mary Coughlan, who deems such a move as drastic action. But IFA president Padraig Walshe said Ms Coughlan was holding back on her defence of agriculture in the faint hope of gains in trade and services. Mr Walshe must be blue in the face at this stage spelling out the dire consequences of the threat to the Irish farming sector: 100,000 jobs in our beef industry and related services couold be wiped out. Even French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he would not sign up to the WTO deal currently on the table in Geneva and this was a stance welcomed by Mr Walshe, who said he was delighted that President Sarkozy was now delivering on the sentiments he expressed to him recently at the French Embassy in Dublin during Mr Sarkozy"s Irish visit. Mr Walshe said France and Ireland have always stood together in support of Europe"s unique family farm structure, which is now in peril because of Peter Mandelson"s 'reckless concessions' to multinational traders, international shippers and South American ranchers. Mr Walshe also welcomed EU Agriculture Commissioner Fischer Boel"s cast-iron commitment on the Single Farm Payment, saying the commissioner"s statement put an end to the 'nonsense' of the Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith, who had been claiming he was saving the Single Farm Payment in the Geneva negotiations. Fine Gael Agriculture Spokesperson Michael Creed has this week called for an immediate sitting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Agriculture and he reminded the Government that, on 3rd June this year, the Taoiseach gave assurances that the Government would veto any unpalatable World Trade Deal. He said it now 'appears that the terms currently being discussed stretch much further than those previously on the table and that agriculture is being sacrificed in order to broker an agreement'. He said the minister must return to the Agriculture Committee and reveal the details of the current proposals. Farmers need assurances that their interests are not being 'sold out behind closed doors in Geneva'. It"s hard to disagree with such sentiments. The quality of Irish beef and other farm produce is superb. One only has to sample similar produce abroad to experience the difference. This veto is paramount to protecting Ireland"s farming sector and the thousands of jobs associated with it. The EU over the years might have given us some wonderful things with one hand but we must not let it stab us in the back with the other hand by putting our agricultural industry at serious risk of extinction. Ireland has also served the EU well (especially in our fishing industry) so the relationship has always been a two-way street. The same goes for agriculture. The Government needs to do all in its power to intervene in favour of our farmers getting the best deal from these highly controversial trade negotiations. Mr Mandelson must not be allowed to sell out the livelihoods of Irish livestock owners. And it is up to Mary Coughlan to use the veto, if necessary, and get this message across in the strongest of terms.