The economic security of farm families “cannot be delivered” by the market, and direct payments must be used to support them, according to President Michael D. Higgins.
Speaking at the first day of the 2023 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois today (Tuesday, September 19), the president addressed the changes needed from the food production sector to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
He said that farming needs to continue changing to address those issues.
“Change isn’t easy. It will not be easy, and I encourage our farmers to continue on the path to change, transcending difficulties by designing alternatives.”
However, the president criticised a production-focussed agricultural mode which he said has been promoted by the EU for many years.
“I want to say it straightforwardly, that change isn’t easy because the EU has been promoting a United States-style of agriculture for a very long time…and [farmers] have had to break away from what was imposed on [them],” he said.
The president went on to suggest that market forces are not sufficient to provide farmers with an adequate living, and that this must be achieved through direct payments.
“I think it is important that farm families have to be supported and secured. I believe that this, in the future, will in fact have to be by direct payments.”
“Farm familly security cannot be delivered by the market. And it will not be secured by the market. It needs a social protection and it needs a social floor,” he added.
The president also said: “Rural Ireland is not just a zone of production to market conditions. It is a space of life, living, and it is composed of diverse communities.”
He also said that the state, as well as citizens, have to play a part in addressing biodiversity loss.
“The state, all of its agencies, and all of us, must be cooperating partners in responding to the devastating loss and in some cases destruction of biodiversity.”
President Higgins was speaking on the first day of the National Ploughing Championships, for which Agriland is the official livestream partner.
Our livestream is broadcast each day of the Ploughing from the Agriland pavilion at Stand 305 between 12:00p.m and 4:00p.m.
The broadcast will include panel discussions covering everything from politics to dairy, beef to solar, and interviews from around the site itself with various trade stands.