AGRICULTURE AND food exports will help drive the economic recovery but the Government must also help the farming sector, Taoiseach Brian Cowen was told by the newly elected president of the Irish Farmers Association, John Bryan, yesterday.
During the meeting at Government Buildings, Mr Bryan sought assurances from the Taoiseach that the the Government strongly defend the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) in the EU negotiations on its future after 2013.
Irish farmers are worried that they may lose the single farm payment in these negotiations. It is currently paid on the basis of what the farmers received in the first three years of the century from Brussels.
According to an IFA statement, Mr Bryan insisted on the maintenance of a fully funded budget for Ireland from Brussels.
“The single farm payment post-2013 must be directed to supporting active farmers.
“Recent suggestions that Ireland might move away from the historical basis of the single farm payment are not on. Farmers will not tolerate any reduction in their single farm payment,” Mr Bryan told the Taoiseach.
He also told Mr Cowen that farmers must continue to be rewarded for their multi-functional role of providing important non-market services, including environmental protection, landscape management and animal welfare.
The IFA leader also sought adequate credit supply and competitive interest rates for the agriculture sector. He said the IFA would not allow banks to put undue pressure on farmers.
The issue of the margins being taken by supermarkets from the farmers was also discussed, and the IFA stressed the need for regulation of retail multiples, saying the food supply chain was broken.
“Since 1995, the farmers’ costs of producing food has increased by over 50 per cent, and at the same time the price paid to farmers has dropped by 7 per cent,” said Mr Bryan.
“The retail multiples and corporate greed are to blame, and this must be addressed at national and European level. We welcome the Tánaiste’s moves in this area to introduce a code of practice because action to rebalance the food supply chain is urgently required.”
The statement said the IFA president urged the Taoiseach to introduce the carbon tax at the same 4.4 per cent rate for farm diesel as applied for road diesel.
Mr Bryan said there was no shortage of challenges facing the farming and agri-food sector.
“However, there are reasons for optimism – with a growing global demand for food and an increasing population. Agriculture can and will contribute to Ireland’s economic recovery, but the Government must do its job and back agriculture for the future.”
Also yesterday, a leading EU delegation met with Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith to discuss the future shape of the Common Agricultural Policy.
George Lyon MEP will draft a report for the agriculture committee of the European Parliament setting out the priorities of the European Parliament for the upcoming reform of Cap.
MEPs Marian Harkin, Liam Aylward and Pat “the Cope” Gallagher accompanied Mr Smith on the trip.