The government has been called on to negotiate with farmers on key sticking points identified in the national Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plan.
Making the calls, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) stressed that farmers “need negotiation – not just consultation”.
Yesterday (Wednesday, September 1) the IFA approved a comprehensive submission to the CAP strategic planning consultation process at a national council meeting.
Commenting afterwards, IFA president Tim Cullinan said there must be “real negotiation with farmers now” about the new strategic plan.
He added that other key issues must also be discussed, such as: sectoral targets under the Climate Act; the Nitrates Action Programme; and the allocation of the €1.5 billion in carbon tax funds committed in the Programme for Government.
The president said: “We are getting sick of these meaningless consultation processes. IFA puts huge work into replying to consultations, which appear to go into a black hole.
“We need negotiation, not just consultation. Our livelihoods are on the line,” he said.
“The CAP, sectoral climate targets, the Nitrates directive and carbon tax funding will directly affect farmers’ incomes.
“The government needs to sit down with farmers and treat us with respect – instead of lumping us in with other ‘stakeholders’ who have no skin in the game.”
Highlighting that farmers understand the climate challenge and can deliver a lot, Cullinan added:
“However, I believe a lot more can be achieved through negotiation rather than through these consultation processes, which are effectively a box-ticking exercise to give the government ‘carte blanche’ to do whatever they like.”
Stressing that farmers want to engage constructively, but the “goal posts keep moving”, he said:
“We had AgClimatise and the Agri-Food Strategy 2030. Now we are told that these will be superseded by sectoral targets.
“Farming is a business and farmers need certainty. The government must sit down with us to negotiate a plan,” Cullinan concluded.