13 September 2010

2 minute read

Speaking after the meeting, Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) National Livestock Chairman Michael Doran said uneconomic cattle prices are a major problem across Europe and all of the Organisations made it clear that producers cannot continue with prices below the cost of production. He said in the EU, livestock farmers are facing into a 4th year of negative incomes and many are being forced out of business.

The IFA livestock leader said all of the producer Organisations are very concerned regarding the serious risk of a drastic reduction in beef production across Europe with significant consequences for food security and imports into the Europe Union. He said this is a very serious issue, not alone for EU policymakers, but also for Europe’s 500 million consumers who rely on livestock farmers for the production of high quality safe beef produced to the highest environmental standards.

Against this background the Farm Organisations representing the beef and livestock sector made it very clear at the meeting in Dublin that the CAP 2013 reform must be ambitious and positive for the beef and livestock sector.

The meeting called for an increase in the EU Agricultural Budget and pointed out that over the last 20 years the Budget had fallen from 0.65 per cent of European GDP in 1991 to 0.42 per cent in 2008.

Michael Doran said the Organisations were very clear that under the CAP 2013 debate, the Single Farm Payment must be fully protected. He said the Organisations recognised the different types of supports and the variability of production systems across the EU and this must be accommodated in CAP 2013.

Michael Doran said the next CAP must allow for an improvement in competitiveness of the beef and livestock sector and it is essential that community preference is protected in this regard. He said European citizens will not accept double standards on beef imports. “All beef imports into the EU must meet EU standards in respect of animal health, food safety and environmental controls.”

In conclusion, the Farm Organisations from Spain, France, Ireland and Italy requested that European MEP’s from each of their countries would strongly defend and support the beef and livestock sector at European level in respect of the CAP 2013 and WTO/Mercosur negotiations.

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