Irish farmers welcome WTO talks collapse

Irish farming groups have welcomed the collapse of the World Trade Organisation talks in Geneva, claiming Irish agriculture has been saved from a potential "catastrophe".

Farming representatives have repeatedly called for Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to exercise Ireland's veto at the talks, claiming they were being forced into concessions that would destroy the agricultural industry.

Nine EU states, including Ireland and France, had demanded better terms for the union during negotiations before they collapsed today.

Irish Farmers Association president Pádraig Walshe today thanked Mr Sarkozy for "defending European agriculture" and saving Ireland from a deal that would "would have cost €4 billion in losses in the agriculture and food industries."

He renewed his call on Ms Coughlan to support the French governement "in now tearing up the EU WTO offer as the other parties have walked away from the table."

Jackie Cahill, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), said the collapse was a "step back from the edge of a cliff" and called on the Doha round of talks to be "buried".

"Irish and European farmers must realize how close we have come to commercial oblivion and we must take steps that prevent us ever again skirting such disaster," he said. "The viability of European food production and the protection of decent farmer incomes cannot be so casually jeopardised ever again."