Papers Today

// Angry IFA rejects An Taisce attack on 'dumping'

THE IFA and An Taisce have clashed at the Earth Summit in Johannesbourg over claims by An Taisce that Ireland is deliberately dumping produce on world markets and undermining farming in developing countries.

The attack by An Taisce's Frank Corcoran was rejected by IFA's environment chairman, Francis Fanning, who is attending the summit. He said the attack by An Taisce on Irish farmers was grossly unjustified and was another indication of a growing anti-farmer bias in An Taisce. "The most sensitive food products for developing countries are cereals. As Irish grain farmers know only too well, grain prices to them are at an all time low, trading below US prices." He pointed out that there was no subsidised or trade-distorting exports of grain from Ireland to developing countries and no dumping of product which might undermine agriculture in developing countries. Mairead McGuinness