If the EU strikes a trade deal with the Mercosur trading bloc, any beef imported from South America would reduce the price for premium Irish cuts, particularly in tourist season, Dawn Meats manager Philip Tallon has said.

Speaking at the joint EU-IFA citizens' dialogue in Kilkenny on Friday night last, Tallon told the Irish Farmers Journal that on a headline basis it looks like 70,000t of beef.

“In a meat market with X million tonnes, 70,000t looks small. But what we are really talking about is 70,000t of steaks coming in.

"Those steaks are going in to continental EU where Ireland needs to sell steaks during the summer to maximise the carcase.”

While premium retailers would still market Irish beef, the influx of Brazilian steaks would keep the price down in the food service sector during a busy tourist season, he said.

No evidence

However, according to EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan, there is no evidence that Brazil is serious about doing a deal at the moment, because the country is in election mode. In the meantime, discussions are still taking place at a technical level.

Twenty Brazilian meat plants were delisted by the EU following on from flaws detected in Brazil’s official control system last week. Of the 20 plants to be delisted, 19 export poultry products to the EU and one exports beef.

“There will be no deal with Mercosur unless we are satisfied that there will be good standards and that we have a good sanitary and phytosanitary agreement,” Commissioner Hogan told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“There will be no deal with Mercosur unless we see moves on demands made before Christmas in relation to products, the dairy sector, geographical indications, protection on country of origin and maritime issues. We are able to detect a considerable amount of difficulty in relation to the standard of food that we expect from South America.”

In the meantime, both Commissioner Hogan and the Dawn Meats manager welcomed news around the opening of the Chinese market.

“The Chinese opening is very significant because it takes effect immediately. If anything happens on Mersocur, it will be 10 to 15 years time,” Hogan said.

According to Tallon, it’s a step in the right direction, that and new markets still need to be developed.

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