The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) will hold a rally at Kilkenny Mart this Friday (July 21) under the motto “farmers’ futures matter”.
Farmers in Kilkenny and the wider southeast region will gather at the mart to highlight the important contribution of agriculture to the region, the IFA said.
Farmers, their families and agri-businesses have been encouraged by the Kilkenny IFA chair Jim Mulhall to support the rally at 7.30p.m at Cillín Hill, R95 A4VP.
Commenting that the rally at Kilkenny Mart this Friday is an opportunity for everybody in the region to come out and support farming, Mulhall said:
“Beyond the jobs in primary agriculture, there are many businesses that depend on a thriving farming sector.
“I would appeal to anybody who can attend to join us on Friday.”
IFA rally
The changes proposed under the nitrates regulation will have “far-reaching implications” for economic activity in the region, Mulhall said.
“A recent study by EY showed that Tírlan’s activity was worth €5.5 billion and supported nearly 20,000 jobs,” according to the association.
The chair added that last spring there was “significant market disruption” as farmers “scrambled” to find extra land in the rental market.
“The indications are that this will worsen,” Mulhall, who stressed that particularly young farmers are finding it difficult to access land due to the current market disruption, said.