The IFA's farm tractor protest, now being called "rural road rage" by some of the participants, snowballed yesterday to a point when there were more than 2,000 tractors on the roads leading to Dublin.
The political heat was turned up too by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, who said in a statement that almost 70 per cent of aggregate farm income was being provided from public funds.It was clear, therefore, that the level of support for the sector was extremely generous.
"Therefore, the real scope for improvement rested with the industry itself through focusing on improving production efficiencies, tailoring production to market demands, better marketing and more diversified production," said the statement.
Mr Walsh said that as a result of the deal negotiated in the Agenda 2000 CAP Reform, a substantial and stable level of support was available to farmers.
"Production is not just for the sake of production. It must be market driven, otherwise returns will simply diminish. Increased production efficiency must also be focused on, especially considering the current costs of production," he said.
In a terse response last night, IFA president Mr John Dillon said the Minister had "now progressed to the next stage of misinformation" with a statement designed to smear farmers and turn public opinion against them.
He said Mr Walsh very well knew that a substantial part of the subsidies paid out by the EU were now being used to cover the cost of production.
Some of the signs on the tractors being driven in the largest "tractorcade" from Cork yesterday called for Mr Walsh's resignation and many of the farmers admitted that Mr Walsh's statements had been the deciding factor in getting them out to protest.
Former minister Mr Ned O'Keeffe TD (FF) said he was horrified to see Fianna Fáil farmers, supporters of his own, out protesting.
"I can't get them out to help me when I want them but here they are and that shows there is a big problem in farming," he said in Michelstown yesterday morning.
It took the Cork convoy, which had joined in Michelstown with Limerick farmers driving behind a tractor bearing the legend, "Dillons's Army", well over six hours to make the trip to Durrow yesterday.
There was minimal disruption to traffic as the tractors stayed on the hard shoulder. The convoy at one time contained 600 tractors, creating a queue five miles long.
The Minister of State and former IFA leader Mr Tom Parlon has praised the "spunk and determination" of farmers protesting this week, and he declined to criticise the planned influx of tractors into Dublin tomorrow.
Mr Parlon said on RTÉ radio that the solution to the difficulties over farm incomes lay in the farm organisations negotiating a good deal in the social partnership talks.
He said he had been making the farmers' case to the Taoiseach and other Ministers and would continue to do so. "It's been a dreadful year. Incomes are down.I can understand their frustration."