Major IFA Rally to Protect Ancs Taking Place in Carrick-on-shannon

IFA is organising a major rally in the Bush Hotel Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday 2nd December at 8pm to highlight the importance of Areas of Natural Constraint (ANCs) payments and to improve payments and protect areas in the upcoming 2017 Review of ANCs.

IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Padraic Joyce, said that it is vitally important that farmers attend this meeting as the scheme is up for review as part of an EU-wide plan to designate areas based on physical handicaps. Farmers are invited from all the Connacht counties and the north-west and border areas. All MEPs for the region have been invited.

Campaign to protect and improve ANCs

The ANC payment is of vital importance to thousands of farmers in the west of Ireland and contributes significantly to farm income. The IFA campaign will be to protect the existing areas, restore payment levels to pre-2008 Budget cuts and to ensure the long-term financing of this important scheme.

Padraic Joyce said that this is the first major review of ANCs in over 40 years and it is important that farmers highlight the significance of the payment in supporting farm incomes. Currently the ANC scheme is worth €205m to around 95,000 farmers throughout the country. In the marginal areas of the west of Ireland, farmers need to see their payments increase as farm incomes are under severe threat.

Campaign priorities

• Protect existing ANC areas
• Increase payment levels to pre-2008 levels
• Payment to recognise the natural handicap

Attending the meeting will be the President Joe Healy, Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady, Hill Committee Chairman Pat Dunne and County Officers from throughout the region.