Roscommon-Galway independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has described EU measures to take Irish agricultural products out of the market as the "only way forward" if the UK rejects the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU.
“If there is no agreement reached, then Ireland needs to make sure – with the help of Commissioner Hogan – that aid to storage schemes and interventions are opened up immediately, at proper prices, for agricultural products," Deputy Fitzmaurice said in a statement this Monday. He called on the Irish Government and Irish MEPs to support this.
The British House of Commons is scheduled to vote this Tueday on the proposed deal organising Brexit without shutting down trade.
If this is rejected, Irish agriculture's dependency on the UK market, especially for beef exports, would lead to "chaos," according to the independent TD.
We have to make sure there is a release valve for all of this
“We have to make sure there is a release valve for all of this, in terms of intervention or aid to private storage schemes. This is the only way forward and these measures must be put in place at proper prices that will make it workable for all farmers,” he said.
Such safeguards should be ready for any sector hit by Brexit including sheep, pigs, dairy or beef, he added.
A combination of intervention, aid to private storage and direct funding packages were used in response to the Russian ban on a range of EU farming products including dairy and fruit and vegetables in recent years.
'Russian model'
IFA economist Edel Kelly told a farmers' meeting in Mullingar that the association was in talks with the European Commission on preparations for assistance based on this "Russian model," because farmers are again under threat from geopolitical disturbance through no fault of their own.
However, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed declined to give details of support measures that may be used to support markets in an interview with the Irish Farmers Journal last week.
Read more
Beef price guarantee needed now
Watch: Brexit challenge in border bureaucracy
Watch: meat markets to improve later this year – but Brexit lies in between
Roscommon-Galway independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has described EU measures to take Irish agricultural products out of the market as the "only way forward" if the UK rejects the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU.
“If there is no agreement reached, then Ireland needs to make sure – with the help of Commissioner Hogan – that aid to storage schemes and interventions are opened up immediately, at proper prices, for agricultural products," Deputy Fitzmaurice said in a statement this Monday. He called on the Irish Government and Irish MEPs to support this.
The British House of Commons is scheduled to vote this Tueday on the proposed deal organising Brexit without shutting down trade.
If this is rejected, Irish agriculture's dependency on the UK market, especially for beef exports, would lead to "chaos," according to the independent TD.
We have to make sure there is a release valve for all of this
“We have to make sure there is a release valve for all of this, in terms of intervention or aid to private storage schemes. This is the only way forward and these measures must be put in place at proper prices that will make it workable for all farmers,” he said.
Such safeguards should be ready for any sector hit by Brexit including sheep, pigs, dairy or beef, he added.
A combination of intervention, aid to private storage and direct funding packages were used in response to the Russian ban on a range of EU farming products including dairy and fruit and vegetables in recent years.
'Russian model'
IFA economist Edel Kelly told a farmers' meeting in Mullingar that the association was in talks with the European Commission on preparations for assistance based on this "Russian model," because farmers are again under threat from geopolitical disturbance through no fault of their own.
However, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed declined to give details of support measures that may be used to support markets in an interview with the Irish Farmers Journal last week.
Read more
Beef price guarantee needed now
Watch: Brexit challenge in border bureaucracy
Watch: meat markets to improve later this year – but Brexit lies in between
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