A new opinion poll shows that over 80% of farmers will vote YES in the Lisbon Referendum next week. The Farmers Journal/IFA poll, carried out by Red C, indicates that 69% of respondents will vote YES, 15% No and 16% are undecided.
When the Don’t Know figure is excluded, the Red C poll shows that 82% of the farming community will vote YES on October 2nd. Among those likely to vote, the YES vote is even higher at 84%.
Commenting on the results, IFA President Padraig Walshe said the overriding reasons for voting YES have struck a chord with farmers, who have always been very strong supporters of the EU.
“They include access to a market of 500 million consumers, the stability provided by the euro, the Single Farm Payment, and the benefits to farmers and the rural economy.”
Padraig Walshe said the findings were encouraging and IFA had been one of the first national organisations to come out with a unanimous recommendation for a YES vote. He said, “we have communicated directly with each of our 85,000 members, run an extensive advertising campaign in the farming press, distributed posters through agri-businesses and held public meetings around the country in recent weeks on the issue. A YES to Lisbon will be a central part of IFA’s message at the Ploughing Championships over the next three days, where thousands of our members will be in attendance.”