June 9, 2021 8:23 am
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will hear from farm organisations today (Wednesday, June 9) on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Today’s meeting will begin at 12:30p.m and will be broadcast online from Committee Room 1 in Leinster House.
The Committee will meet with representatives from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA); the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA); Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA); the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA); and Macra na Feirme.
“CAP is a crucial component of keeping farming alive and kicking in Ireland.”
Speaking in advance of the meeting, committee chairperson Jackie Cahill said: “We must ensure that farmers, agri-businesses, and the food industry are on solid ground in terms of the CAP policy, and we must not allow post-Brexit issues to hinder the overall agriculture and food industry in Ireland.
June 9, 2021 2:19 pm
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is being called on to explain the reasons for over half of the applicants to the Rural Environment Agri Pilot Project (REAP) not being accepted.
It was originally envisaged by the department that the pilot scheme would have around 2,000 participants. However, it was oversubscribed more than five times over, with just under 11,000 applications received.
Minister Charlie McConalogue announced last week that approval letters would be issued to 5,000 farmers, 3,000 more than the original target.
However, the department is now being asked to clarify the reason for excluding the 6,000 remaining applicants who will not receive approval letters.
June 4, 2021, 6:10 am
I believe Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) president Pat McCormack to be totally ‘off beam’ in calling for a support payment on all Irish cows – sucklers and dairy.
For the record, I normally agree with many of the views expressed by the man in question.
However, a clear focus must be placed now on ringfencing Ireland’s suckler industry.
Dairy cows have substantial support
In the first instance, dairy beef will be covered by the ‘Grass Fed Irish Beef’ Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Secondly, dairy farmers cover all the other bases when it comes to developing farm income opportunities.
June 3, 2021 2:44 pm
Recent months have seen a number of farming organisations call for the introduction of bespoke suckler cow support payments.
However, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) president Pat McCormack believes that this principle should be extended to every Irish cow.
“All cows, suckler and dairy, produce the same amount of slurry, methane, ammonia. So why discriminate one from the other?” he said.
Farmgate prices
ICMSA president Pat McCormack
He told
Agriland: “The best way to achieve this is to deliver meaningful farmgate prices. For too long, Irish producer prices have not kept up with inflation or the increased costs of production that farmers are incurring.