ICSA calls on Heydon to 'stand up for farmers' on CAP budget
The president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) Sean McNamara has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon to "stand up for farmers".
The comments come as Minster Heydon is in Brussels today (Monday, March 24) for a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH).
The minister is set to tell his ministerial counterparts in other EU member states that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) “must remain a core EU priority”.
The ICSA president called on Minister Heydon to fight for a "properly funded" CAP budget.
“With everyone looking for a bigger slice of the EU budget, we cannot let farming get pushed to the back of the queue.
"CAP is the cornerstone of European agriculture, but competing demands and inflation are eating away at it.
"If the budget isn’t protected and adjusted for inflation, the CAP’s real value will be cut in half by 2034. That would be a disaster for farmers in Ireland and across the EU," McNamara said.
The ICSA highlighted analysis by Farm Europe showing that without proper indexation to inflation, the CAP will lose 54% of its real value by 2034.
Additionally, he noted that the possible accession of Ukraine to the EU could see 20% of the CAP budget diverted away from existing farmers.
“Farmers are already being squeezed from every angle - falling incomes, rising debt, and more red tape than ever.
"According to Farm Europe’s tracking, over the last 20 years, farm incomes per hectare have dropped by 12%, 37% of farmers have quit, and agricultural debt has shot up by 30%.
"We have also lost over 11 million hectares of farmland, and we’re importing more food than ever. If that’s not a wake-up call, I don’t know what is," he said.
McNamara added: “We cannot allow agriculture to become an afterthought in EU budget discussions. Food security, rural livelihoods, and Europe's ability to stand on its own depend on a strong CAP".
"The figures speak for themselves - European agriculture is being hollowed out, and if policymakers don’t take action now, we will see an irreversible decline.
"We need a properly funded CAP that can deliver meaningful support to farmers and ensure food production remains viable across Europe.
"The message to Brussels needs to be crystal clear: No farmers, no food. Cut the CAP budget, and you cut the legs from under farming in Ireland and across Europe," he said.
