Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon remains hopeful of getting enough support at European Union level to block the proposed Mercosur deal.
The agreement between the EU and the biggest countries in the South America has been years in the making.
Ireland is opposing the deal on the basis the importation of 100,000 tonnes of beef from countries such as Brazil and Argentina will have a detrimental impact on the Irish beef industry.
Other countries, though, believe the Mercosur deal will be good for trade overall and lessen the EU’s dependency on the United States market.
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To stop Mercosur at least four member states constituting 35 per cent of the bloc’s population would have to oppose it.
Mr Heydon said the new minister for agriculture in Poland, Stefan Krajewski, was “steadfast” in his opposition to the deal at present.
He said Austria was in the “same space” regarding its opposition, while the French and Italians were also sceptical.
However, he warned that opposition to Mercosur was weakening among member states. “If countries currently in opposition were to change their position, then there may not be that coalition.”
Mr Heydon will have meetings with these countries on Monday at European Commission level to see who remains opposed to it.
He also said the retention of the nitrates derogation for Irish farmers was a key priority for the Government.
Under the EU Nitrates Directive, farmers have to ensure the total amount of nitrogen from organic manure applied to their land does not exceed 170kg per hectare a year.
However, Irish farmers have a derogation allowing use of up to 250kg. This is due to expire at the end of this year.
Irish farmers have successfully argued that the Irish system is unique in being pastorally based, with cattle spending more time outdoors (an average of 240 days a year). However, there are fears that the derogation may not be rolled over next year.
Mr Heydon admitted it was a “big ask” to comply with EU standards on habitats and water quality if the State retained the derogation.
“It’s a very big undertaking that we are being asked to undertake. They do understand that the nitrates derogation is critically important to us and they also understand that Ireland’s farming system is very different,” he said.
“That’s the reason why we are the last country looking to have a derogation beyond the end of this year into the coming years because we have our pasture-based system.”
Ireland is expected to present its case to the EU Commission on Friday about the derogation.
“Across Government every lever is being used here to highlight the importance of this for the sector,” Mr Heydon said.
Ireland has a “clear ask” for an appropriate amount of time to have the derogation extended, he said.
“There are key indicators here around land management and weather has a key influence. There is no doubt that the efforts farmers have made towards water quality – the leaders in that regard are the 7,000 derogation farmers,” he said.
Mr Heydon said rising food costs were partly down to the 70 per cent increase in input costs since 2020.
“So they [farmers] really have been carrying that burden and feeling that pain,” he said.
The Minister blamed the blue tongue virus across Europe for the rise in the cost of beef, though the disease was not present in Ireland.
“It has had a direct impact on the price of beef and it impacts us here,” he said.
