Accepting a Mercosur deal might seem easier when beef prices are at prices never seen before, however, there are no market price guarantees on a global market.
The fundamental uncertainty that some scientists and MEPs voice around assurances given by countries in South America make accepting the Mercosur deal very difficult for Irish farmers. Core to EU farmers and food is the high-quality, highly regulated and hormone-free food they produce daily.
Any weakness in this undermines the fundamentals of the EU plan. South American claims of recent changes and improved standards pale into insignificance relative to the paperwork and administration all Irish and EU farmers must participate in on a daily basis. It’s not just Department administration and checks; Bord Bia, co-op and local county council standards cause as much hassle and mental anguish at farm level making the cumulative effect much more significant.
Accepting a Mercosur deal might seem easier when beef prices are at levels never seen before, however, there are no market price guarantees on a global market. Since 2023, New Zealand wasn’t filling its quota allowance into the UK market (see p26). However, in the space of a couple of months and using the most recent statistics available, we can now see four times as much New Zealand beef coming in per month as there was this time 12 months ago.
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Title: Editorial: unknowns outweighing the positives
Accepting a Mercosur deal might seem easier when beef prices are at prices never seen before, however, there are no market price guarantees on a global market.
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The fundamental uncertainty that some scientists and MEPs voice around assurances given by countries in South America make accepting the Mercosur deal very difficult for Irish farmers. Core to EU farmers and food is the high-quality, highly regulated and hormone-free food they produce daily.
Any weakness in this undermines the fundamentals of the EU plan. South American claims of recent changes and improved standards pale into insignificance relative to the paperwork and administration all Irish and EU farmers must participate in on a daily basis. It’s not just Department administration and checks; Bord Bia, co-op and local county council standards cause as much hassle and mental anguish at farm level making the cumulative effect much more significant.
Accepting a Mercosur deal might seem easier when beef prices are at levels never seen before, however, there are no market price guarantees on a global market. Since 2023, New Zealand wasn’t filling its quota allowance into the UK market (see p26). However, in the space of a couple of months and using the most recent statistics available, we can now see four times as much New Zealand beef coming in per month as there was this time 12 months ago.
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