- Farm incomes are unsustainable and product prices must rise - across all sectors;
- Bureaucracy and costs must be reduced;
- The new REPS scheme must pay farmers properly;
- And our Single Farm Payment must be fully protected.
John Bryan said he was taking office after a horrendous year for farmers - when incomes suffered their worst decline since Ireland entered the EU. Farming and the agri-food sector have been hammered in this recession. The depreciation of sterling against the Euro and the totally unjust treatment of primary producers by retailers have added greatly to our difficulties.
He said over-regulation, and the Government’s failure to go far enough in driving down costs and restoring national competitiveness, have compounded the problems faced by Irish farmers and Agri business.
However, the new President stressed, “Agriculture can and will contribute to Ireland’s economic recovery. But the Government must do its job and back agriculture for the future.”
VIABLE PRODUCT PRICES
John Bryan said, “For our important role as food producers, farmers need a minimum price from the market place to cover our costs of production and derive a fair income. Retailers, processors and marketeers have clearly failed to return a price capable of providing a viable income for family farmers in all the main sectors.”
The new President said, “The discounting of Irish food produce is being done at the expense of farmers, while the multiples protect their margins and boost their corporate profits. This is daylight robbery and an affront to any fair sense of corporate responsibility. This corporate greed and contempt for the men and women who produce our food must be addressed.”
He said politicians at home and in Europe must rebalance the food marketing chain, through legislation if necessary, to ensure that farm families can get a viable income from the marketplace.
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GOVT INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE
John Bryan told the AGM that the Government must continue its correction of the public finances, while positioning the economy for export-led growth. “As Ireland’s largest indigenous export sector, it is critical that vital on-farm investment in agriculture is maintained. Schemes such as REPS, Disadvantaged Areas and the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme, are vital to maintaining farming and supporting economic activity throughout rural Ireland.”
He said REPS contributes hugely to improving the environment and enhancing biodiversity through the creation of new habitats. He stressed the new REPS scheme must provide an average payment equivalent to REPS 4.
RESTORING COMPETITIVENESS
On costs, Mr Bryan said restoring business competitiveness must be a priority for Government. This is particularly important for our exporting agri-food sector. Government-controlled costs, including energy, waste, labour and bureaucracy, must be reduced.
He described the new carbon tax as trade-distorting. It increases the cost of business and reduces our competitiveness against countries that have no such tax. “Farmers have no alternative energy source and I will be putting proposals to the Minister for Finance to provide relief from carbon tax for farmers.”
John Bryan said over-regulation in farming is unnecessary and it is damaging our competitiveness. “Inspections are becoming too frequent, too intense and downright impractical for ordinary farmers, trying to survive in these difficult times. A more practical approach has to be taken and farmers must be given reasonable notice prior to inspections.”
WTO
The threat posed to Irish farming – and particularly our beef and sheep sectors – by the EU’s WTO proposals has not gone away.
- The globalisation agenda ended in disaster for the financial markets.
- The Government and EU Commission cannot allow the free-trade agenda of the WTO to do the same to agriculture and food.