Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has said that the aim of his department and that of his government colleagues, including Minister of State Pippa Hackett, is to increase the number of full-time farmers across the country.
The junior minister and senator caused controversy this week with her comments to the Seanad that seemed to indicate that a reduction in full-time farmers as a result of convergence or the levelling of payments through other measures should be “welcomed”.
Farm organisations such as the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) hit back at the comments by Hackett, claiming that they indicated a Green Party agenda to reduce agricultural production in Ireland.
President of the IFA, Tim Cullinan said that many farmers are “forced to work off-farm” to supplement their incomes when payments are reduced.
Speaking to Agriland today (Thursday, February 17) during a trade mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Minister McConalgue said:
“You have some small farms on large entitlements who are impacted by convergence, and you have some large farms with low average entitlements who are seeing their entitlement value increase.
“But the department [of agriculture, food and the marine] and the minister [of state, Pippa Hackett] and myself, as minister for agriculture, and the government’s objective here is to back all family farms to ensure we work… in terms of supporting them financially to ensure there are as many viable or full-time farms as possible.
“So, maintain farmers as full-time and to actually increase the number of farmers who are full-time by bringing in more funding to the sector and indeed by improving market access and market return,” the minister added.
“It’s very easy in politics when we as TDs and ministers are speaking on a daily basis [about] so many issues to make a comment which may not necessarily represent our thinking or indeed our performance on an issue,” Minister McConalogue said with regard to the comments by Minister of State, Pippa Hackett.
Support for part-time and full-time farmers
The minister told Agriland that all types of farming needs to be supported in terms of funding supports.
“Let there be no doubt… that the track record and colour of this government is one that backs Irish farming and backs family farming,” he continued.
“If you look at the development of our CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] Strategic Plan – that’s a CAP plan that really backs Irish family farms and Irish agriculture.
“We’re bringing an additional €1 billion of national co-funding to the table to support family farms until 2027, which is a 50% increase in national co-funding from last time and is something that will see all farmers benefit.
“The issue with convergence is blind to farm size really. In terms of the debate, I travelled and had discussions in every county in the country on this, but there is no black and white in relation to that,” McConalogue added.
The minister said that “it’s about ensuring that as many farms as possible are full-time” but also ensuring that all types of farmers, such as those who are part-time, are equally respected “for the work, effort, graft, sweat and tears that go into running a family farm and producing food”.