The Farmers’ Alliance is forming a political party and is hoping to run candidates in every constituency in the next general election.
The farming organisation has already lined up around 12 candidates for the upcoming local elections and is “looking for more like-minded people”.
The group, officially launched in Athlone in April, said that it “will be fighting on behalf of everyone, not just the farmer”.
“This is going to be a mammoth task but we believe in people power,” they said.
Liam McLaughlin, among the founders of the Farmers’ Alliance, said he was surprised by how much the group has grown in recent months.
However, he told Agriland that this shows the need for something to be done to help farmers.
Election candidates
Among the candidates who have already declared an interest in running for the Farmers’ Alliance in the local elections, due to be held in 2024, is the group’s spokesperson, Helen O’Sullivan.
The suckler farmer from Bantry in west Cork believes that farmers are “deflated” and demoralised” by the current narrative around agriculture.
“Everything’s thrown at them, trying to run their own farms with all the red tape that’s involved with that, but on top of that then you have the whole climate change debacle going on.
“We’re being totally labeled as environmental terrorists because of that. Everything is our fault.
“It’s wrong. It’s all a one-sided story, the truth really isn’t getting out there about the good we do,” she told Agriland.
O’Sullivan said that farmers do not feel their concerns are being properly addressed by politicians.
“There is an awful lot of dictatorship coming from the EU, and our government are just lying down and taking it,” she said.
“People feel that we can’t do anything unless we’re there at the table when decisions are being made, because a lot of these decisions are being made and there’s no consultation with the farmers, it’s just being rolled out,” the farmer added.
Farmers’ Alliance
The Farmers’ Alliance is hoping to have as many candidates as possible for the upcoming local and European elections.
“We hope to have a candidate in every constituency for the general election,” O’Sullivan added.
“Everyone’s looking for change. They all want the change but they’re very slow to come forward themselves,” she said.
The Farmers’ Alliance is planning to host a public meetings in the midlands towards the end of September, with further meetings planned for other areas.
O’Sullivan, who says she has been asked by farmers for many years to enter politics, will be running in the West Cork constituency in the local elections.
“It’s going to be very daunting. I’m quite busy with the farming. I’m quite happy out in the field farming.
“I’m not looking to be anywhere as such, but I suppose somebody will have to make the first move. I’ve thrown my hat in the ring now,” she said.
O’Sullivan believes that farmers are “at their wits’ end” and will be willing to support candidates from the Farmers’ Alliance in the elections.
“Our input costs are gone through the roof, they’ve spiraled, but yet cattle are gone back €210/head since last May, sheep are back nearly €42 for a lamb.
“This is at a time when there was never more of a demand for meat globally. The big gap between what the producers are getting and what retailers are getting, that still doesn’t make sense,” she said.
“We feel because of all this misinformation that’s put out there about us, the farmers, that there’s a huge divide there between the urban and the rural.
“So we want to bring the urban people on board with us and come together and let them know that we’re not all that bad for the environment, that we produce very good quality food,” O’Sullivan said.