Agriculture in general, and the CAP in particular, were the big issues at the Rio summit this week.

The reasons are obvious enough. Latin America can show that the EU's tariff protection of its agricultural produce costs beef producers in Argentina and chicken farmers in Brazil many millions of dollars every year in lost exports.

Although there were no substantial negotiations in Rio, the EU's agreement to include agriculture in free trade negotiations, starting in 2001, was hailed as a success by the southern continent. The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, told The Irish Times that Ireland should accept this development.

"The reality is that we are moving towards the full liberalisation of trade anyway, and the only question is when." Didn't this position risk attracting a bashing from the IFA when she steps off the Government jet? "We will defend our national interest in the negotiations, but no one group of people represents those interests," she said.

"We can't keeping asking for the advantages of free trade for ourselves, and then keep asking for exemptions. "Ireland's national interest, in my view, lies in opening up markets as much as possible. The more markets we can get our products into the better."