Rural perception is ‘that government is winding down farming’

There is a “widespread perception” in rural areas that the government has taken the decision to “wind down” commercial farming in Ireland, according to one farming organisation.

Pat McCormack, the president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) was speaking after attending the Virginia Show in Co. Cavan yesterday (Wednesday, August 24).

According to McCormack, the mood at the show among those he spoke to reflected a view that the government has decided on a policy of “managed decline” of agriculture.

“It is undeniable that even the most cursory glance at the government’s record on every single issue pertaining to farming shows a bias against commercial farming and specifically against commercial family dairy farms.

“Obviously the government is going to strenuously deny that it is anti-farming. But it would want to start backing that up with action and funding,” he said.

McCormack added: “The totally unanimous belief out there among our members is that on every single occasion that this government has been faced with an ‘either/or’ choice between helping farmers or hindering them, they have hindered them every single time.”

The ICMSA president drew attention to government policy on data centres.

“The government seems to contort itself looking for ways to accommodate vast energy-consuming data centres that employ less people than a nearby co-op.

“Meanwhile, there’s a steady flow of regulation and restrictions and costs all aimed at farmers and coming from every direction that all combine to make it harder day-by-day to produce the food that is the real economic and indigenous infrastructure of these local communities,” he said.

McCormack also suggested that many rural TDs were not aware of the degree to which their constituencies feature this “double standard”.

“It’s not our place to point out the obvious to rural TDs, but nobody can say they weren’t told,” he remarked.

“In fairness to some representatives from all parties, we are aware of individual politicians who admit their confusion over official policy.”

However, according to the ICMSA president, this “won’t be anywhere near enough come a general election”.

“There’s going to be a degree of shock at the extent to which traditional farmer support will either stay home or switch,” he argued.

McCormack added: “There is a budget in four weeks and if ever there was a time to signal that the government understands the extent of disappointment and downright anger among the farming communities, then this is it.”