The Minister for Agriculture has strongly criticised the United States' approach to the forthcoming World Trade talks. Joe Walsh said that he is fed up with being lectured to by a country which wants to abolish subsidies in Europe while payments to American farmers have increased by 400% in the past decade. Negotiations on a new round of World Trade talks will resume in two weeks time.
The Minister's angry rejection of the American attitude to foreign subsidies came in an address to the Agricultural Science Association in Galway.
Mr Walsh warned of devastating effects on Irish agriculture if the United States and other countries make headway in seeking the elimination of subsidies. Pointing out that the United States had increased supports to its farmers by 400% since 1995, Mr Walsh said that American farmers received about $16,000 each annually. This compares to about $3,500 per farm in Europe.
Mr Walsh said he had to adopt this anti-American stance even in the current world crisis because he is not going to allow anyone to undermine Ireland, where 70% per cent of foreign income comes from subsidies.
