Posted on September, 5, 2024 at 08:00 am
The Irish Grain Growers’ Group (IGGG) wants significant restrictions imposed on grain imports from Mercosur countries.
This mirrors the demands already made by other stakeholder organisations in relation to beef imports.
The biggest of the South American Mercosur countries include Argentina; Brazil; Paraguay; and Uruguay.
The coming weeks may well see the European Union edging closer to the attainment of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the South-American-based trading block.
IGGG chairm Bobby Miller, commented: “The same issues relating to deforestation and loss of biodiversity, which are put forward when calling for restrictions on beef imports into Europe, are equally valid where the production of grains within the Mercosur bloc are concerned.
“Brussels and, for that matter, the Irish government, can’t have it every way. Producing beef and milk using Mercosur grain, soya and other feedstuffs is totally unethical.”
According to the IGGG representative, 750,000t of animal feedstuffs was imported into Ireland from Mercosur countries last year.
“Currently Ireland imports cereals and by-products from a total of 60 countries. However, the potential to increase local grain production three-fold here exists,” Miller continued.
“Only one-third of the land suited for cereal production in Ireland is being used for this purpose at the present time. Grain imports lie at the heart of the challenge facing the Irish tillage sector.
“Currently, large tonnages of barley are coming into the country on a daily basis. This is happening at the very height of the Irish harvest when ample sources of homegrown grains are available to Irish feed compounders.”
Meanwhile, the Irish harvest continues apace.
“Yields are average at best and prices are not good,” Miller said. “The exceptional pressure that will come on tillage incomes in 2024 is already obvious.
“The co-ops must commit to the best possible price they can for Irish grain produced in 2024. These same organisations have already agreed to additional sustainability payments for milk producers.
“It is important that they take the same approach with tillage farmers producing feed grains.”
The IGGG also confirmed that the group will have a strong presence at the 2024 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois.
“The event provides us with a unique opportunity to lobby government ministers and all those other groupings that impact on the tillage sector,” Miller stressed.
This year’s Ploughing event takes place a fortnight before the Budget Day 2025 on October 1. There is growing speculation that the government’s initial response to the report produced by the Food Vision Tillage Group will be made public at that time.
Source: Agriland