Farmers mark 60 years of Irish Farmers’ Association

Some 1,700 farmers and people involved in the industry are gathering at Dublin’s Convention Centre to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Irish Farmers’ Association.

The association, which was first known as the National Farmers’ Association, was founded on January 6th, 1955 in the Four Provinces Ballroom in Dublin’s Harcourt St.

Of the 14 presidents, nine survive and are in attendance. They will hear from EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan who will give his first address to Irish farmers since taking over as commissioner in November.

On his way in to the event, Mr Hogan said the IFA was “a magnificient organisation, one of the best in Europe in terms of lobbying for its objectives”.

He said he would be reassuring the audience the future was “still good” for farming. He said the re-opening of the US market for Irish beef was “very good news” for the country.

“It’s great to see a new market opportunity. This is what it’s all about,” he said. “I will be spending a lot of my time in 2015 opening new markets hopefully, right across the world, for not just Irish farmers but European farmers.”

He also stood by his comments earlier this week that it was time to look at penalising farmers for farm safety breaches by linking farm payments with their safety record.

Farm groups such as ICMSA and ICSA had criticised his comments, saying this would only add to the stress of farmers but Mr Hogan said he expected farmers would want to do everything to keep their families alive and safe.

“I think nobody in any farm family would be against that,” he said.

Mr Hogan declined to comment on the problems facing the Government in implementing water charges.

“Minister Kelly is now in charge of that Department...he’s doing an excellent job,” he said.