IFA: Dangers of Mandelson's WTO Deal Accepted

IRELAND - Addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture on the morning of the 3rd of July, IFA Deputy President Derek Deane outlined the 21st of July as D-Day for Irish farming and the food industry.
calendar icon 4 July 2008
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As trade ministers from all over the world gather in Geneva Irish farming is at a grave risk due to the damage that would be caused by Mandelson’s proposed WTO deal.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture fully accepted and realises the destruction Commissioner Mandelson’s WTO offer would cause to Irish agriculture. As it would cost the country €4 billion per annum, 50,000 jobs would be lost in manufacturing and services and a further 50,000 farmers would be put out of business.

Mr Deane said “if Mandelson gets his way Europe will be flooded with beef from South American ranches where landless labourers are paid only subsistence wages. Produced with lower costs, lower standards, and on enormous ranch scale units, poor quality dairy products, lamb, pork and chicken will be shipped to the EU from all over the world.”

Concluding his presentation, Derek Deane said “WTO destroyed our sugar beet industry. We have to make a stand and I know the Taoiseach and the Government will take the lead.”

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