The European People’s Party (EPP) conference gets underway this morning (Friday, April 19) and will focus on the future of European agriculture.
The EPP conference, held in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Co. Carlow, will hear from European policy-makers, farmers, agricultural specialists and commentators.
The first panel will be chaired by MEP Colm Markey, and will be based on the EPP’s vision on farmer-led productive, sustainable agriculture and farm diversification.
Panellists include: Irish Farmers Association (IFA) deputy president, Alice Doyle; chair of AgTech Ireland, Padraig Hennessy; President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Denis Drennan; and chair of Tillage Industry Ireland, Andy Doyle.
The second panel will be chaired by Agriland editor, Stella Meehan and opened by MEP Maria Walsh.
It will be based on the EPP’s vision on profitability and social sustainability in agriculture.
Panellists include: Macra president, Elaine Houlihan; director of Meat Industry Ireland (MII), Dale Crammond; associate professor of University College Dublin (UCD) School of Agriculture and Food Science, Dr. Helen Sheridan; and committee member of the Irish Grain Growers’ Group (IGGG), Pat Cleary.
Taoiseach Simon Harris will also be in attendance to give the keynote speech.
Opening the event this morning, MEP Seán Kelly said: “Our farmers are the custodians of the land.”
He said there was a “need to revisit” the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, secure family farm incomes, and pay farmers to deliver EU sustainability strategies.
“They are the ones who put food on the table, support our major export industries, but also they are the ones who can deliver the transition to sustainability.
“They must be paid properly for doing so. We need to revisit the CAP budget, secure family farm incomes, and pay our farmers to deliver EU sustainability strategies,” Kelly said.
“There is a way to have productive, profitable, and sustainable farming. To do this, I believe we need to increase CAP funding to support farmers, food production, and food security,” the MEP added.