July 22, 2021 9:15 am The value of Ireland’s beef output would be cut by at least €44 million and possibly as much as €55 million compared to its value between 2017 and 2019, according to the government’s assessment of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement. The assessment was released yesterday (Wednesday, July 21), which also found overall producer returns (across all beef cuts) will reduce by between 1.9% and 2.3%, though this is dependent on a particular scenario playing out. The comprehensive assessment – which takes account of all economic sectors – noted that the potential impact on the EU beef market and hence Irish producers of an increase in imports depends not just on the volume but also on the composition of these imports.