IFA president repeats demands of farmers

The president of the IFA, Mr John Dillon, reiterated the association's demands yesterday as the "tractorcade" approached Dublin.

They include:

• Acknowledgement by the Government of the "true income situation in farming" and a statement on the future of Irish farming.

• A rise in CAP product prices to be negotiated by the Minister for Agriculture with the EU.

• A reversal of Budget cuts and implementation of pre-election commitments in a number of areas such as disease levies and the "rollover of relief" on payments due to compulsory purchase orders.

• An increase in VAT refunds to compensate for the increase in the lower rate of VAT.

• An agreed environmental package covering implementation of the nitrates directive, an improved REPS and a guarantee of funding for investment schemes such as the farm waste management scheme.

• A more vigorous defence of Irish agriculture in upcoming EU negotiations on world trade and CAP reform.

• A structural reform package to enable commercial farming to expand including the IFA proposal on land-leasing.

• A commitment to restore the funding levels for agriculture as contained in the National Development Plan 2000-06.

• A reduction in bureaucracy and red tape through negotiations with the IFA.

• A renegotiation of the special areas of conservation (SACs) designation procedures, compensation and realistic stocking levels in commonages.

"This is a summary of a number of comprehensive submissions by the IFA to Government since last September, including the submission on a new national partnership agreement to succeed the PPF", Mr Dillon commented.