The Irish Family Farm Group (IFFG) is calling on the government to double the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) payment for farmers.
It is among a list of demands drawn up by the group, which it will be asking farmers to support at a meeting taking place in Mountbellew Mart in Co. Galway tonight (Friday, February 9) at 8:00p.m.
Among the speakers invited to attend this evening’s meeting are Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice, Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, Claire Kerrane and former manager of Elphin Mart, Gerry Connellan.
IFFG
Donie Shine, chair of the Irish Family Farm Group (IFFG), told Agriland that the next government needs to implement a “viability income scheme” for farmers.
“If someone doesn’t take a stand very, very soon, it will be too late and we won’t even have enough farmers to go to meetings,” he said.
Shine believes that the single farm payment model is “outdated” and the payments farmers are now receiving is “not justifying the costs that are out there”.
The IFFG chair claimed that convergence on payments is causing farmers to exit the industry.
“It’s the government that is wrong here. Successive ministers for agriculture have come up with waffle really of saying they’re going to do something for the small family farm,” he said.
Payments
Along with a doubling of ANC payments, the IFFG is calling for a €40/ewe payment for small sheep farmers.
“We’re also looking for €300 on the offspring of the suckler cow provided that offspring is suckler beef, male or female,” Shine said.
The IFFG chair believes that if these payments were introduced it would help bring more viability to small famers.
In relation to young farmers, the group wants the government to buy land holdings which can be put aside for future generations of farmers.
Shine said that repayments for this land could be managed by the Land Commission over 30, 40 or 50 years.
“Whether we like it or not, 50ac is not viable and indeed 100ac is testing the limits at the moment,” he claimed.
Shine said that Ireland is currently losing young farmers “in their droves” as they are immigrating to the US, Australia and New Zealand.
“I don’t blame them for that, to be honest with you. Mothers and fathers are advising their offspring not to go farming at the moment and that’s very sad,” he said.