ICSA: EU-New Zealand trade deal ‘another blow for sheep farmers’

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has described a new trade deal between the EU and New Zealand as “another blow for sheep farmers”. As part of the free trade agreement (FTA), signed yesterday (Sunday, July 9), the EU allows a tariff rate quota of 38,000t of sheepmeat to be imported from New Zealand duty free. The measure will be gradually phased in over seven years from when the agreement enters into force. This volume will be in addition to the current 114,000t of sheepmeat already permitted to enter the EU from New Zealand. Advertisement ICSA ICSA Sheep Committee chair Sean McNamara has said the agreement comes at a time when prices for Irish sheep farmers are “falling rapidly”. “This agreement can only be described as kicking sheep farmers when they are down. “Our sheep farmers need better prices for their produce and greater financial supports, not agreements that will make an already bad situation worse,” he said. Sean McNamara “This is the last thing ...