Analysis that milk prices could slump by up to 20% – coupled with the ongoing difficulty for beef farmers in trade along with historically low beef prices – shows a “clear need for an immediate roll-out of EU support measures”, according to Macra na Feirme.
However, any mooted mandatory reduction measures must be firmly rejected, the young farmers’ association stressed.
‘Unacceptable’
Commenting today, Tuesday, April 21, Macra national president Thomas Duffy said: “All sectors of agriculture have clearly been impacted – yet it has taken this long for the commissioner to put together a support package which is unacceptable.”
Macra na Feirme is calling on Commissioner Wojciechowski to immediately introduce and rapidly roll out measures including support for private storage through Aids to Private Storage (APS).
“Proposals of a lump sum from under the Rural Development Programme to support farmers must prioritise young farmers, our own Government can show its commitment to young farmers when this comes to state level and apply the same principle as TAMS [the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme],” Duffy added.
Opposition to mandatory reduction
Macra stressed it will oppose any mandatory reduction schemes pushed for by member states such as France.
Macra Agriculture Affairs Committee chair John Keane warned:
Mandatory reductions at this point in the seasonal production system of grass-based dairy would be devastating and are totally unrealistic.
In a similar move to 2016 when proposals for mandatory reductions in the dairy support scheme were opposed by Ireland, Macra is calling on the Minister for Agriculture and Irish political leaders including MEPs to oppose these calls.
“This is not the first time France has pushed for mandatory reduction – including in 2016 – now is not the time to use this crisis and widen conflict between member states,” Duffy concluded.