Irish Day of Action Begins
IRELAND - With major EU decisions to be taken in the next few months that will define the future of the farming sector in Ireland, the vast majority of dairy co-ops, beef, lamb, pig and poultry processors, grain merchants and livestock marts will close to accepting farm produce today (Tuesday 9th October).
9 October 2012
2 minute read
Irish Farmers Association (IFA) President John Bryan said it was a major show of solidarity and he thanked the agri industry for their support. “The agri industry fully understands the consequences for their businesses and the 300,000 jobs depending on the sector if the EU Commission gets its way on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.”
He said that a bad deal in the upcoming negotiations on the reform of CAP will cost Ireland thousands of jobs by undermining the viability of our most productive farmers. “Farm output will drop and the raw material for Ireland's ambitious growth plans in the food sector will not be available if the EU Commission gets its way.” He said EU commission proposals to cut the CAP budget would also decimate Ireland's hugely successful rural development programmes.
Mr Bryan said thousands of farmers will leave their farms on Tuesday next to protest
in Dublin and send a clear message to the Government that they must fight in Brussels to secure a full CAP budget that supports productive farmers and the rural economy.
He said farmers will also send a strong message to Government that they cannot continue to heap extra costs and taxes on top of productivity and work. “The Government need to get serious about improving our competitiveness and not damaging it further with more taxes and costs on the hard-pressed business and productive sectors.”
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