Co-ops Must Assist Farmers with Superlevy Cash-flow Problems, and Minister Must Redouble Efforts for ‘softer Landing’ – Bryan

IFA President John Bryan today (Thurs) urged co-ops to assist farmers in every possible way with cash flow difficulties arising from the early collection of superlevy from over-quota producers. He also urged Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to redouble his efforts with like-minded member states to secure some further relief from superlevy in Brussels coming up to 2015.

John Bryan said, “An increasing number of farmers are now finding themselves over quota, some having filled their entire annual quota at this very early stage. Co-ops have started to collect the levy from those producers, and the IFA Dairy Chairman Kevin Kiersey has written to them urging them to be mindful of those farm families’ cash flow needs.”

The IFA President said, “I am quite conscious that excess production by a few producers is impacting negatively on quota flexibility for all producers. It is therefore critical that producers who have a problem would take the necessary action to eliminate their exposure, as it is in everyone’s interest, especially their own.”

“IFA will continue to lobby at home and in Brussels for some easing of the rules to ensure Irish farmers too can benefit from a so-called ‘soft landing’ coming up to 2015. We are calling on Minister Coveney to develop the alliances made with like-minded member states in order to obtain greater room for manoeuvre for Irish dairy farmers as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr Bryan however reminded all dairy farmers that there was going to be no move in Europe on this issue in the short term, and milk producers must take the quota situation seriously.