The impact of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), changes in the nitrates regulations and the Climate Action Plan are some of the key issues that are set to be discussed at a regional meeting of the Irish Grain Growers’ Group (IGGG) next week.
The IGGG will host its northeast regional meeting on Monday evening (January 9), at 7:30p.m in the City North Hotel, near Gormanstown in Co. Meath.
The meeting will not be confined to members however, with all those in the region that want to hear about and discuss current challenges facing the sector encouraged to come along.
Shane Kearney of Teagasc will offer a presentation on how the nitrates regulations changes will impact farmers at the meeting, which will be followed by a questions and answers session.
Speaking to Agriland, president of the group, Bobby Miller, said they are hoping for strong engagement from the floor, and added:
“We need to talk about our issues and the challenges that we’re facing so we would hope that people will talk to one another and discuss possible solutions.”
In relation to the new CAP, which came into effect on January 1, Miller said the meeting will address the fact that many tillage farmers will soon be experiencing a financial hit in their direct payments.
“70% of tillage farmers will suffer a financial loss in their payments in this CAP and for about 40% of them, that loss will be 10% or more.
“Altogether, several million will come out of tillage farmers pockets over the lifetime of it (the new CAP),” he added.
Miller said that those in the industry “already knew that 2023 was going to be a tricky year”, following a drop in grain prices by approximately €80/t combined with consistently high fertiliser prices and risky weather.
The IGGG will also be discussing the recently published Climate Action Plan on the night, which Miller said recognised the positives of tillage, but fell short on details of a long-term roadmap for the sector.
“We were happy that tillage farming was portrayed positively; thankfully, they listened to the growers that the tillage area needs to be expanded, but the only way to do that successfully is to increase the funding and develop a long-term plan,” he said.
“We need investment in tillage instead of investment in trying to solve problems in the other sectors.
“If farmers are to move out of livestock and into tillage, we need to make it viable and profitable.
“We need to see processing facilities to add value to the grain and we want to see the development of long-term roadmap for the sector,” he added.
The group is open and ready to engage with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue on this, said Miller, who added that the IGGG are due to meet with him later in the month.
Monday’s regional meeting is targeted at those in the northeast, however the group will be organising sessions for other areas of the country in the coming weeks, and its annual general Mmeeting (AGM) is planned for later in the month.