The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will hear from farm organisations today (Wednesday, June 9) on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Today’s meeting will begin at 12:30p.m and will be broadcast online from Committee Room 1 in Leinster House.
The Committee will meet with representatives from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA); the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA); Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA); the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA); and Macra na Feirme.
“CAP is a crucial component of keeping farming alive and kicking in Ireland.”
Speaking in advance of the meeting, committee chairperson Jackie Cahill said: “We must ensure that farmers, agri-businesses, and the food industry are on solid ground in terms of the CAP policy, and we must not allow post-Brexit issues to hinder the overall agriculture and food industry in Ireland.
“Despite the importance of food production, farmers’ income is around 40% lower compared to non-agricultural income,” the Fianna Fáil Tipperary TD highlighted.
He went on: “CAP acts by providing income supports, market reassurance measures and rural development measures with assistance through national and regional programmes to address the specific needs and challenges facing rural areas.
“CAP ensures the viability of farming as an industry in Ireland. Providing security during the lifespan of the reformed policies is essential and our input into the negotiations will go a long way to help.
“The committee and I look forward to hearing from the representatives of farming bodies. We will listen to the farmers and their representative bodies about what really needs to be discussed at the CAP negotiations table,” Cahill said.
“With the provisional start date of the proposed CAP reform being pushed back to January 1, 2023, we have some time to find out what really needs to be on the agenda,” he concluded.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture has 14 members – nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.
Today’s meeting can be viewed here.