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Farming in the west depends on properly funded
farm schemes, a forum hosted by Connacht Gold was told in
Claremorris, Co Mayo.
Irish Farmers Association president John Bryan
said more than 20,000 farmers in the west participate in the
Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) - which is one-third
of the overall national figure. The scheme, valued at €125
million in the region, provides a huge economic spin-off in
one of the most disadvantaged parts of the country.
Stressing that the economic impact of the REPS
is felt in every town and village in Connacht, he said farmers
must be provided with a meaningful new scheme. Mr Bryan said
the maximum €5,000 payment, mentioned by Agriculture Minister
Brendan Smith, is totally inadequate to meet the compliance
cost and must be increased.
In Connacht alone, there are 10,000 farmers
in REPS who must have a meaningful scheme available to them
once they finish their contract, he said.
Mr Bryan said 26,000 farmers in the region have
signed up to the suckler cow welfare scheme - a critical element
in maintaining the herd that underpins beef exports of €1.6
billion.
Farmers in Connacht have invested €600m under
the farm waste management scheme to comply with the nitrates
directive. This investment will add to the already high environment
standards that farmers meet and enhance the attractiveness
of the countryside for visitors.
Mr Bryan said a fully-funded Common Agricultural
Policy budget post-2013 was crucial for farm families in a
region such as Connacht. The importance of the single payment
cannot be overstated. "The rural economy depends on the farming
community to drive jobs and exports. Any reduction in the
budget would have serious implications for the wider region,"
he said.
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president
Jackie Cahill told the forum the European Union policy of
deregulation and free-for-all in the dairy sector had wiped
out a whole year’s income for thousands of milk suppliers
and was still unable to move milk price decisively upwards.
Mr Cahill said the ICMSA would continue to try
and connect dairy policy to the reality that supply must match
demand if there is to be any degree of stability and viability
in dairy income.
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