IFA President Padraig Walshe expressed his sincere gratitude to the determination of French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier to prevent a sell-out of European agriculture in the Geneva WTO negotiations.

Mr Walshe was speaking following discussions with Minister Barnier and French farmers at the annual congress of the FSNEA in Nantes yesterday.

The French Minister for Agriculture, addressing French farmers, said no deal was better than a bad deal and France would defend the European livestock sector, which would be absolutely be obliterated if Mandelson got his way.

Mr Walshe stressed, “Ireland’s livestock industry is a vital national interest. Beef is three times more important to Ireland than wine is to France. The Minister for Agriculture, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach must put down a non-negotiable marker for Mandelson and Commission President Barroso.”

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