Macra has said that the proposed dairy reduction scheme – one of the recommendations from the Food Vision Dairy Group – will “not deliver for the future of Irish agriculture”.
Responding to comments from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue – that he was aiming to have such a voluntary scheme up and running in 2024 – Macra president John Keane said that young farmers “across the country are extremely angry and disappointed ” that the minister is actively pursuing the scheme.
Under the proposal from the Food Vision Dairy Group, the land entered into such a scheme could not be used to breed animals.
“This will undoubtedly reduce the stock of land available for farmers who wish to rear breeding animals. It will further increase the price of land paid for lease and sale.
“It will put pressure on our tillage sector to compete for land and negatively affect the government’s targets to increase the tillage area in Ireland,” Keane said.
He added: “With less than 6% of active farmers under 35, the minister needs to pursue a succession policy in farming and not an exit policy.
“This measure, if proceeded with in a manner that is excluding the future of farming in Ireland, will further reduce the amount of young farmers who are the future of both the agricultural industry and food production in Ireland,” the Macra president commented.
Speaking at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action yesterday (Thursday, March 2), Minister McConalogue said that he was aiming to flesh out the details of the scheme this year, with a potential roll-out of the measure in 2024.
He told the committee: “One of the recommendations of the Food Vision Dairy Group was that we should explore and look to take forward the option of a voluntary reduction scheme. Our target is to have that clarified by the end of the year.”
In answer to a question from Green Party Senator Pauline O’ Reilly, the minister said: “I indicated a month or so ago that 2022 would be the reference year for any voluntary reduction scheme that we step out, to give as much clarity as possible to those that might be considering it.”
New Macra president
In other Macra-related news, Elaine Houlihan, from Co. Limerick, has today been confirmed as the 39th national president of the young farmers’ organisation.
The 27-year-old, who is the current Macra Munster vice-president, was the only candidate to formally declare an interest in running for the top job in the organisation.
The closing date for nominations was on Wednesday (March 1).