The Carlow executive of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has held a demonstration as part of the association’s nationwide “show of solidarity” with protesting farmers across the EU.
The demonstration in Carlow town last night (Thursday, February 8) was original set to be held to coincide with similar IFA actions nationwide last Thursday (February 1). However, the Co. Carlow event was postponed due to a road traffic collision in the county last week in which three young people died.
According to the organisers, around 110 tractors were involved in the demonstration, as well as lorries and vehicles from other businesses.
Speaking to Agriland, Jamie Kealy, the Carlow representative on the IFA’s national dairy committee, said that the demonstration saw “a great turnout”.
However, Kealy expressed disappointment with turnout from politicians, with only one of the five TDs for Carlow-Kilkenny attending the demonstration, namely Fianna Fáil’s Jennifer Murnane O’Connor.
Former TD for the constituency Pat Deering was in attendance, although he was involved as a member of the IFA rather than in a political capacity.
Speaking to Agriland, Deering said: “I attended with maybe about 130, maybe about 140 other farmers. I came out, the very same as anyone else, because there is a lot of frustration in the whole agriculture sector at the moment.
“I know this was deemed a solidarity protest, with the rest of the European farmers, but the issues of the European farmers are quite similar to the issues we have in Ireland.
“Starting off, going back a couple of years, to CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reform, which really negated the productive farmer, and a lot of financial incentives were taken away from production and given towards environmental matters,” he added.
Deering, who was the chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the last Dáil, said that other measures and regulations “seemingly coming on stream day-by-day” have frustrated and annoyed farmers.
The IFA’s demonstrations follow on from protests in several countries across the EU in January and into this month, which have shown no signs of abating.
Most recently, this week, farmers in Spain have taken to the streets, with videos showing tractors decked with flags and banners on the country’s motorways.
The protests have the support of COAG, the main farm organisation in Spain. Protests are taking place today in the cities of Bilbao, Zamora and Badajoz.
Protests across several other Spanish cities are scheduled to take place throughout February, with a demonstration in the capital, Madrid, set for for next Wednesday (February 14).
Like the wave of protests across other countries in Europe, the protests in Spain are understood to be motived by a mix of nationally-specific issues and broader grievances farmers claim to have, including increasing environmental regulation of their farm businesses, and a lack of economic opportunity in rural areas.