A number of Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) protests are taking place in the south of the country today (Thursday, October 21) in response to the announcement of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan (CSP) funding allocations this week.
Despite being hailed as a CAP that will support farmers while meeting our ever-growing climate demands, it has, today, spurred two protests in counties Carlow and Kilkenny.
The IFA protests coincide with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue’s continued whistle-stop mart tour of Ireland.
He arrived at Tullow Mart in Co. Carlow today at 4p.m where a crowd of “several hundred” according to IFA Carlow county chair, John Nolan, had gathered to meet him with a placard message that read ‘save Irish farming’.
CAP – anger and worry
Speaking to Agriland as the Tullow Mart protest was underway, the IFA Carlow county chair said that the main message they want to convey to the minister is that the recently announced CAP funding proposals are unacceptable, will only serve to take away from the productive farmer and are the “single biggest threat” to farming livelihoods.
“And especially in this part of the country, they will financially crucify us, with a 35-40% cut in a lot of payments.
“In terms of the eco schemes, a lot of those are not achievable, especially for tillage farmers.”
He said the feeling at the protest was one of “anger and worry”.
CAP – savage cuts
Also speaking at today’s protest, president of the IFA, Tim Cullinan, said:
“Buried behind all the hype and big headline figures announced yesterday lie savage cuts to a cohort of farmers. This comes on top of farmers being hit with climate targets without any impact assessment of the consequences for individual farmers or rural Ireland,” he said.
He said that the funding for suckler cows, ewes and the tillage sector was an insult to these farmers and sent a clear signal that the government was not interested in farmers making a viable living from these sectors.
“Despite having flexibility under this CAP, the minister has done nothing to help these farmers.
“His plan to allocate the maximum 25% of every farmer’s basic payment to so-called eco-schemes is bizarre, as the minister himself fought to secure flexibility on this at EU level,” he said.
Minister McConalogue is expected to visit Kilkenny Mart later this evening where a second CAP-related protest will meet him.
Pig sector demonstration
Earlier today, a separate IFA demonstration took place in Co. Laois, organised by the the IFA Pigs Committee, and coinciding with Teagasc’s Virtual Pig Week.
The pig-industry demonstration was set up to reflect the IFA’s concern at ongoing staffing issues on pig farms and in pig-processing facilities.