Current Government Policies A Threat To Commercial Family Farming. – ICMSA.

Speaking following a meeting with An Taoiseach, An Tanaiste, the Minister for Climate, Environment and Communications and the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine, the President of ICMSA, Mr. Pat McCormack said, that he is deeply concerned with the direction of current Government policy that represents a clear threat to commercial family farming in Ireland and it is about time that rural Government TD’s stood up for the farming community and stopped the tail wagging the dog.

To be clear, Mr. McCormack said, that Irish farmers recognise their environmental obligations and we are and will respond as a sector but what we will not accept is the effective shutdown of our sector and politicians telling us to diversify when there are no credible alternatives.    ICMSA is very concerned at this stage from climate change to nitrate regulations to veterinary medicine changes that the current Government appears intent on squeezing commercial family farming out of this country and it appears to have forgotten the crucial role played by agriculture in the economic recovery and also its central role in rural Ireland from a social and economic perspective.  

Irish agriculture despite the negative comments from vested interests has a proud record of achievement from an economic, environmental, social and rural perspective and the Government needs to recognise this, work constructively with the sector and ensure that our sector can grow and develop in a sustainable way.   The false negativity about our sector is unfairly influencing Government policy in a direction that could critically undermine family farms and it is essential that this Government and the rural Government TD’s re-assesses the direction of policy and proactively supports the sector.

Farmers understand the climate challenge but the unique position of agriculture and food production needs to be recognised as acknowledged in the Paris Accord, sustainable agriculture needs to be supported with the maximum level of co-funding under CAP Post 2020 and Irish farmers will not accept the Government unfairly undermining our very future based on flawed policies, concluded Mr. McCormack.

ENDS     04 June 2021

Pat McCormack is (087) 7608958.

ICMSA Head Office (061) 314677.