Niall Nicholson, Cork

We face the issue of either 70,000t or 99,000t of additional beef coming into the EU market and it seems the EU is putting major multinational companies and car manufacturers before its own citizens and primary producers. According to the European Commission, the combined impact of the trade talks (without considering Brexit) will have at least a 16% impact on producer prices, at today’s base price of €3.90/kg to €4.00/kg that’s a price decrease of €0.62 to €0.64/kg. This is not sustainable when we as Irish beef producers in some cases need €4/kg to be breaking even. We cannot compete with world market prices for beef due to the cost of inputs and the level of regulations we currently have to meet.

Denis Large, Tipperary

I can’t understand how an Irish Government and European Commission could sell out the beef industry in return for BMW cars. I have farmed all my life and never have I encountered so much uncertainty. How can we encourage young people into our industry if we have no idea what future EU policy looks like. I am very disappointed with our own government’s response to the upcoming CAP negotiations as they seem to be taking an almost negative stance on the budget. We as beef farmers are not looking for handouts – any supports will be spent in local communities. We just want our government to stand up and fight to protect producers from South American beef produced to lower food safety standards.

Alan Wood, Mayo

I produce beef to a very high standard. The farm is quality assured, every animal is traceable from birth to slaughter. There are costs associated for all this and in return the consumer gets access to safe, affordable food produced in an environmentally sustainable way. I am very proud of the way I farm and feel we have a unique industry that if supported could contribute so much to rural communities. What gives the European Commission the right to let this lower-grade product into our market to compete with its own producers? The backbone of the west of Ireland is beef producers and unless the Government wakes up and recognises the consequences of a Mercosur trade deal, we will have lost an industry forever.

Angus Woods, Wicklow

We are at crunch time on Mercosur. Commissioner MalmstrÖm has conceded way too much in the giveaway of an additional 70,000t of EU beef market access to the Brazilians. An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister Creed must make it clear to Brussels that further concessions are a non-runner. This message does not appear to be getting through. Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has to force a rethink on the sell-out of beef farmers. Farmers attending the CAP 2020 meetings are being lectured on the environment and climate change. At the same time, Commissioner MalmstrÖm is ignoring the disgraceful record of the Brazilians on these issues. Mercosur flies in the face of everything that the EU stands for.

Mart events

Next week sees our Save our Sucklers series of nine events in conjunction with the IFA kicking off around the country. The first event will be held in Inishowen Co-op livestock mart in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, on Tuesday 20 February at 7pm and the second event will take place in Station Road Mart, Cootehill, on Thursday 22 at 7pm. The events are an important part of our national campaign and it is important that suckler farmers come to the events and have their views heard. There will be speakers from the Irish Farmers Journal, ICBF, Teagasc and local vets at the events. A breeding demo will take place with cows and calves and our popular calving demo makes a return at this year’s events run with local vets. Admission is free and everybody is welcome. All events are KT programme approved and farmers can sign in on the night as proof of attendance.