John Curran from Co. Meath has been elected the new chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) National Rural Development Committee.
Curran, who is the IFA Organics Project Team chair, runs a mixed organic farm alongside his wife and family in Kells.
He converted to organics in 2007 producing organic beef and lamb and also diversified into producing organic oats.
The farmer was part of the formation of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) review of the organic food sector and strategy for its development 2019-2025.
Curran succeeds Michael Biggins, who has completed his four-year term, and will officially take over at the IFA annual general meeting (AGM) next week.
ACRES
The new Rural Development Committee chair said that one of his immediate priorities would be Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
“All farmers who applied under Tranche 2 of ACRES must be accommodated. We cannot be limited to 50,000.
“We either want to achieve our environmental targets or we don’t. The department also need to realise that many low-income families, particularly those in vulnerable sectors, rely on agri-environment programmes to survive,” he said.
On the broader issue of payments, John Curran said there cannot be a repeat of what happened last year with delays to farm scheme payments.
“It’s completely unacceptable and no other sector would accept it,” he said.
Curran said that Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) was a “complete non-event in 2023”.
“The thousands of farmers around the country who made applications for TAMS last spring have to know where they stand.
“Farmers cannot be at the mercy of department inefficiencies.
“They need to get real, make direct and proactive contact with farmers and farm representatives, in good time, to let them know where they stand. There is just too much at stake,” he said.
IFA
Meanwhile, Teresa Roche from Co. Galway has been elected chair of the IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Committee.
She succeeds Alice Doyle, who was elected IFA deputy president last month.
Both will take up office next Tuesday, January 9 at the 69th IFA AGM.
Teresa Roche said she looked forward to working with the committee and thanked Alice Doyle for her work and commitment in the role.
“We will have a very busy agenda with the range of issues that we cover,” she said after her election.
“Initially, my focus will be on services for mental health; pensions for farm families; and encouraging greater involvement of women in farming.”