Farmers gathered outside the offices of the EU Commission in Dublin earlier today to protest against new world trade reforms.
The protest, organised by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), sought to draw attention to what it claims are the dangers facing the Irish beef sector.
The IFA has accused EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson of being prepared to destroy the beef industry in Ireland to achieve a world trade agreement
IFA president Pádraig Walshe claims the Irish beef industry is Mr Mandelson's principal bargaining chip in the talks, and that he is prepared to "sell out" the sector for a deal on industry and services.
Irish farmers have claimed they will lose over €2 billion a year in food exports if agriculture is "sacrificed" by the European Commission to achieve agreement in the world trade talks.
The IFA said that concessions on beef imports would wipe out Ireland's €1.2 million suckler cow herd, with huge farm losses, job losses in food processing and the elimination of the country's grass-based beef production.
Sinn Féin's spokesman on agriculture, Martin Ferris, who attended this afternoon's protest, said farmers were concerned about the offer by the Mr Mandelson to open up the EU to imports of meat from South America.
"If Commissioner Mandelson is allowed to proceed it will represent another example of bad decisions being taken at EU level without it would appear much being done or being capable of being done by the Irish Government to prevent it," said Mr Ferris.
Meanwhile, the Irish Dairy Industry Association (IDIA), the group that represents the Irish dairy processing industry, claimed today that the current proposal on agriculture at the WTO will also undermine the EU dairy industry unless the Commission takes a firmer stance.
"The publication of the new WTO modalities paper makes it clear that negotiators at the Commission have lost control of the agenda, as yet more concessions are demanded from the EU on market access," said IDIA director Michael Barry.
