Dozens of farmers voiced their concerns about unfair trading practices, funding and inadequate information on farm safety and other issues at a talk last organised by Peter Burke TD and attended by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and IFA president Joe Healy at Paddy Donnelly’s sheep and cattle farm at Balrath, Slanemore last week.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, who had earlier visited a number of key sites around the county, spoke frankly on Brexit’s impact on confidence and investment in the country. “For an agricultural country that exports over 40 per cent of what we produce to the UK, it is very unfortunate. We want to maintain a relationship as close as possible to the current trading relationship with the UK. We know what is at stake here – 40 per cent of exports, exports of €12 billion globally to 125 countries around the world. The best market for us is the market that pays most and is closest to us and this is the UK. We will be impacted on more than any other country,” he asserted.
He also stressed the importance of an adequate budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post 2020. “If the EU wants new initiatives and policies it will need new money for that and the CAP should not be raided,”he said.
He added the Ireland is the most carbon efficient producer of dairy produce in the world with New Zealand.
Joe Healy, president of IFA, also spoke about the impact that Brexit has had on the agricultural industry. “There is a lot of pressure at the moment. We saw last year from June to September, €150 million wiped off the beef sectorn which goes right down to the wider economy. Another priority is the area of CAP in the absence of the UK who are net contributors to CAP. We want the EU to ensure the CAP budget is fully funded.”
He declared there was no future for any cattle farmers if prices remained the same.
He proposed that at European level, the Crisis Reserve Fund needs to be examined. “Brexit is leading to crisis for a number of farming sectors in this country. Fifty per cent of our beef goes to the UK and 45 per cent to the EU.”
Mr. Healy stressed that cheaper finance for farmers was one of the IFA’s main priorities in the coming budget. “Where people have an alternative, they are moving into dairy. We have to have a payment that encourages farmers to retain the suckler numbers.”
He would welcome a €5 million boost to the ewe payment scheme – an extra €5 per ewe.
Sgt. John Connolly, who specialises in security, emphasised the importance of making sure that farm property is secured. . “Crimes will increase by 20 per cent in winter, detailing what farmers should do to protect their property.
Other key speakers included a Galway farmer, Peter Gohery, who tragically lost his leg in 2009 leaving him unable to work and who faced many tough years following the accident. “A small piece of loose clothing wrapped around the power shaft and took my leg off.” He received €15,000 from the IFA but was unable to collect on his own insurance as the policy stated he would have had to have lost both legs. “I spent 16 weeks learning how to walk.”
Another speaker, Peter Curry, bravely spoke of his harrowing experience with severe depression. “I would make sure I drove my daughter to the bus for college because I was 100 per cent sure, I would never see her again.”
William Prior of the Phoenix Project broached the topic of suicide among farmers in debt. “All the banks want at the end of the day is their assets, their land. The thing I don’t hear is, ‘How are we able to help you get out of your debt?’ It took two farmers in Tipperary to lose their lives before the bank wrote off the rest of loans. Something has to be done to protect the farmer’s debt. There is uproar among farmers about the GLAS payment.”
Mr. Creed urged any farmers who were facing financial difficulties to seek help as soon as possible before the situation worsens.
Gerry Reilly, national horticultural chairman of the IFA and Mushroom Committee, said eight mushroom growers have gone out of business in the last 12 months since the Brexit vote. “That makes up about 6 per cent of the industry. There are 200 jobs gone and about €10 million in exports. We were included in the €150 million special loan in last year’s budget but no mushroom growers were able to pick from the money because the people who really need it are the least likely to qualify in repayments. We are on th cliff edge again. We need short-term assistance. We’re asking for help.”
Mr. Creed remarked that the Government did extend the low-interest loan scheme but admitted that many mushroom growers were not approved. “It is highly exposed to changes in Sterling and and industry that is extremely vulnerable to where we are now. We are working through a range of possibilities at the moment.”
Paddy Donnelly said that the country was seeing a great export trade in weanlings but was concerned about the cost of keeping suckler cows. “20,000 less calves in the beef sector were registered this year. We have about 42,000 suckler cows in Westmeath. Three farms in the area have got out of suckler cows in the last eight months. If that continues, the good quality calf will be gone and we won’t have them to export. Also I want to know when we will see AOs on the factory line.”
Mr. Creed said that Budget 2018 will not include a €200 suckler cow substitute as requested due to the cost but they would look for new market opportunities.“We do have a delegation from the Chinese regulatory authorities looking at our meat plans. China is the second biggest export for our dairy exports so I would see significant opportunity there.”
Enda Burke asked about the establishment of a food regulator to protect primary producers. A liquid producer of 27 cent per litre he only receives 23 cent a litre. “People were surprised to see people on million Euro wages in Glanbia, yet they paid the second lowest price to the farmers in Europe.”
FARMERS GET JUST 21%
In response, Mr Healy spoke of the “needless race to the bottom” regarding unfair trading practices that are leaving farmers shortchanged. “ Last year we invited over Christine Tacon, the first Groceries Code Adjudicator. Last December, there was a breakdown across the EU of what is passed back from the finished price. It was 21 per cent goes back to the farmer and 28 per cent to the processor and a massive 51 per cent to the retailer. The IFA liquid milk producers protested outside Aldi and Dunnes just yesterday to highlight the race to the bottom there. We have called for an independent ombudsperson and ban below cost selling and to ensure there is EU legislation to back that up.”
Mr. Creed said that year the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment introduced new regulations regarding fair trading practices. We would like a legal EU framework because we do export so much of our produce but are meeting some resistance. We have to respond to what is happening and insulate farmers, and income averaging is one way.”
Vincent Nally, of Irish Rural Link, told those gathered that a life was lost on a farm every 13 days on average over a ten year period. “In 80 per cent of fatalities there is a behavioural component so we need to change behaviour.”
Minister Creed said there was no bigger issue than farm safety. “We are blind to dangers in our farmyard. Walk into your neighbour’s farmyard and cast your informed eye over it. This issue is beating us and getting worse,” he warned.
Francis Butler, Streete, said many farmers these days are 50 years and over, and called for a reintroduction for the Early Retirement Scheme to encourage second generations to stay on the farm.
