IFA President Joe Healy has said that the proposed cuts to the CAP Budget are a major threat to farming in Ireland and must be strongly resisted.
Healy made the announcement following the launch of the CAP 2020 proposals by Commissioner Phil Hogan in Brussels.
The IFA said that it is completely unacceptable that any cut is being contemplated when farmers are already struggling on low incomes and are “being asked to do more under CAP proposals”.
Take It To The Top
“Taoiseach Leo Varadkar must make it clear at EU Heads of State level that the recent Commission proposals on the CAP Budget are a non-runner,” Joe Healy said
“The Taoiseach must insist on an increased budget to take account of inflation and the cost of any additional measures imposed on farmers. Minister Creed met with like-minded Ministers for Agriculture to build alliances on this issue yesterday and this must be followed up by the Government to ensure farmers are not left short in the Budget negotiations. The future of farming and rural Ireland is at stake.”
'Unfair'
Healy added that the proposals are “unfair and unacceptable and must be rejected”.
“All sectors have shared in the economic revival, yet farmers have had their direct payments eroded by inflation. At the very least, farmers need a CAP increase in line with inflation,” he said.
“CAP is intended to provide farmers with a fair standard of living to support them to produce a sustainable supply of safe high-quality food for consumers at affordable prices. Because of CAP, the average household spends on food has reduced from 30% to just 15%. Farmers are also expected to deliver public goods and meet society’s expectations on the environment and climate change.”
The IFA has said that it will lobby at a national and EU levels to fight the proposed budget cuts.
© 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.
