The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that the government “has to listen” to the message from its tractor rally in Dublin yesterday (Sunday, November 21).
The tractor rally – organised under the slogan ‘Save Irish Farming’ – saw roughly 100 tractors and other machinery take to the streets of the capital, converging on Merrion Square near government buildings.
Yesterday evening, after the tractors and attendees had dispersed and gone their separate ways, IFA president Tim Cullinan said the rally “sent a strong message to the government that negotiations with farmers on their future has to take place”.
The rally was a scaled down version of the IFA’s original plans, which was for a much larger presence of farmers in Dublin. These plans were changed on foot of the growing Covid-19 case numbers, the IFA says.
“Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we had to modify our event from a farm family rally to a convoy of vehicles. Farmers drove from every corner of the country, with some leaving their counties on Friday and others early on Sunday morning,” Cullinan commented.
“Farm families are genuinely concerned about their future. Equally, there is deep frustration that every policy of this government, including its proposal National Strategic Plan for the next CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] is designed to reduce production,” he added.
The IFA president said that “proper engagement” with farm leaders is needed to negotiate a farm-level plan “that farmers can implement”, and claimed: “To date, nothing has been forthcoming from the government.”
“Minister McConalogue cannot continue to avoid the views of farmers before he finalises plans next month.”
The CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) is due to be completed by the end of the year and submitted to the European Commission for approval.
The IFA is protesting against the current proposed draft of the CSP, as well as emissions reduction targets under the Climate Action Plan.
Speaking at the protest yesterday, Cullinan warned that there may be more to come.
“This is our third day out [in recent weeks] but if this government is not going to get up off its backside and listen to us as farmers, this campaign will continue.
“I will be liaising with my officers [in IFA] tonight or tomorrow and in the days ahead and we will make a decision on what we are going to do next,” he said.
Cullinan called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue to “get on the phone, because if he doesn’t he will know we’re around, and we’ll be here and we’ll be in town until we get proper negotiations”.