Tipperary councillor warns Mercosur trade deal threatens farmers and rural livelihoods

A councillor from south Tipperary has issued a strong warning over the proposed EU Mercosur trade agreement, as the long running pact moves closer to potential approval at European level.

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Cllr John O’Heney, a non party representative for the Tipperary Cahir Cashel Municipal District, said the deal poses a serious threat to farm families and rural communities across the county and country. 

In a recent press statement he stated: “The proposed EU-Mercosur trade deal is not merely a policy matter; it is a direct threat to the future of every farm family and rural community in Tipperary and across Ireland," he said.

He added, "For too long, our farmers have been asked to meet the highest environmental, animal welfare, and traceability standards in the world. They have invested heavily in their land and livestock to deliver the quality food that European consumers demand.”

Cllr O’Heney warned that the European Commission is preparing to allow a large influx of imports. “Now, the European Commission is preparing to open the door to a massive influx of 99,000 tonnes of beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry from Mercosur countries.

These are products raised under standards that our own farmers would be prohibited from meeting. This is a clear case of economic double standards and environmental hypocrisy.”

He said cheaper imports will depress prices for domestic produce and threaten the viability of family farms. “There is a huge Livelihood Threat in allowing cheaper, lower-standard beef and poultry to flood the market will depress prices for our premium Irish produce, making it impossible for our family farms to compete and remain viable, Cllr O’Heney stated.”

Cllr O’Heney also highlighted what he described as an environmental contradiction. “The level of Environmental Hypocrisy must also be raised as we are asking Irish farmers to reduce emissions and protect biodiversity, while simultaneously rewarding trade partners who continue to engage in practices like deforestation in the Amazon and use growth promoters and antibiotics banned in the EU. This deal makes a mockery of our entire climate agenda.”

Food safety was another central concern reiterated by Cllr O’Heney, “above all else, there is major Food Safety Concern about the traceability and food safety of these imports. We cannot gamble with the health of European consumers simply to secure deals for other EU industrial sectors.”

Cllr O’Heney is calling for public action, urging farmers, rural business owners and residents of Tipperary to attend a national protest.

He said, “I call on every farmer, every rural business owner, and every concerned citizen in Tipperary to stand up and be counted. We must send an unequivocal message to our Government: you must stand by your Programme for Government commitment and work to block this deal at the European Council.”

The protest will take place in Athlone this Saturday, January 10th, at 11.00am. It will take the form of a tractor and vehicle cavalcade and rally, finishing at the TUS Athlone International Arena in Co Westmeath.

“We are not asking for a handout; we are demanding a level playing field and fair trade. The survival of rural Ireland depends on us stopping this deal,” he said. 

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