EU-NZ trade deal to make ‘an already bad situation worse’ for Irish sheep farmers
The EU and New Zealand free trade agreement will “make an already bad situation worse” for Irish sheep farmers.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association sheep chairman Sean McNamara has said that the decision to allow an additional 38,000 tonnes of sheepmeat into the EU from New Zealand is “yet another blow to sheep farmers at a time when prices are falling rapidly”.
“This agreement can only be described as kicking sheep farmers when they are down,” he said.
The free trade agreement was signed in recent days and, under its terms, an additional 38,000 tonnes of duty-free sheepmeat will be permitted to flow into the EU annually on top of the current 114,000 tonnes permitted.
The new volume will be gradually phased in over seven years from the entry into force of the agreement.
Under the agreement, the EU will also allow a tariff rate quota of 10,000 tonnes of beef to be imported with reduced duty of 7.5%.
“This is the last thing Irish sheep farmers need,” Mr McNamara said.
“It makes no sense to allow this additional product to come in when we know the negative impact it will have on local suppliers.
“It is a disgrace that instead of trying to help sheep farmers, decision-makers within the EU have decided to not only ignore the difficulties facing the sector, but to also compound those difficulties.”
Kathleen O’Sullivan | Irish Examiner
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