Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, TD, has said that he is 'extremely disappointed' at the proposed cuts for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget.
Recently, it was announced that the EU Commission is proposing a 5% cut in funding of the CAP, which has sparked uproar amongst Irish farmers.
A Prerequisite For Success
Minister Creed reaffirmed the idea that CAP funding must be protected, as family farms play a vital role in the protection and enhancement of the environment and food production.
He said, “We need farmers to take active steps to mitigate climate change, protect water quality and biodiversity, and improve their competitiveness. A strong CAP is a prerequisite if these objectives, which are in the best interests of all citizens, are to be achieved.
“European agriculture is also facing into a period of significant market uncertainty against the background of Brexit. In all of these circumstances and in particular because many farm families rely on the CAP for virtually their entire income, a cut in funding is simply not a realistic proposition.”
Further Setbacks
In the light of the cuts to CAP funding, President of the IFA, Joe Healy, called on the government to fight further cuts. He argued that farmers, whose direct payments are already being eroded by inflation, should not be the subject to further cuts versus other sectors.
President of the ICMSA, Pat McCormack also dubbed the proposal as an “unacceptable” budget which will have a “damaging effect” on rural Ireland.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
