Farming
Connemara farmers take protest to Dáil
CONNEMARA hill and commonage farmers this week secured a joint meeting with Ministers Simon Coveney and Jimmy Deenihan, over financial losses they could suffer this year in the ‘gap period’ before the new CAP begins next year.
Eight IFA representatives from the Connemara, Mayo and Sligo regions refused to leave the offices of Minister Deenihan on Tuesday until they got a commitment for such a meeting.
Commonage farmers are angry that a new stipulation is proposed to be included for the new GLÁS environmental scheme for new applicants.
According to a spokesman for Connemara IFA, a requirement that 80% of share holders in a commonage have to sign up to a plan for inclusion in AEOS needed to be withdrawn.
He said that if seven out of ten people involved in a commonage wanted to sign up to the GLÁS scheme, while three more refused to co-operate, then the majority couldn’t go ahead and sign up to the scheme.
“This is just a completely unfair condition for those in a commonage who want to be part of a GLÁS scheme – we want this withdrawn as a matter of urgency before the final plans go to Europe,” said the Connemara IFA spokesman.
He said that they also wanted the Duchás environmental scheme carried over for this year, to fill the gap between 2013 and the new CAP next year.
A meeting took place last evening (Wednesday) between the IFA Hill/Commonage representatives and the two Ministers. (See next week’s Farming Tribune for details).
This morning, close on 200 hill farmers from the West are travelling up to Dublin, to protest outside the offices of Ministers Deenihan and Coveney.
Connemara IFA Regional Chairman, Brendan Joyce, said that hill and commonage farmers were completely frustrated at the lack of response from the two ministers over issues that had major consequences for farmers in the region.
Meanwhile farmer anger also boiled over outside Minister Coveney’s office in Dublin over what they is his ‘sleepwalking’ role in the ongoing beef crisis.
The IFA say that Minister Coveney has been completely inactive in terms of tackling the price of beef paid by the meat plant barons. Yesterday, Minister Coveney said that the Department was examining the possibility of legislating for the recognition of producer organisations in the beef sector, and will shortly be launching a consultation with key stakeholder groups in this regard.
“This initiative could provide a vehicle for collective action by farmers in a way that can give them the advantages of scale and market presence, as well as a useful vehicle for transferring technology and expertise to improve profitability at farm level,” said Minister Coveney.
ANOTHER look at the strategy for the Athlone to Galway city Greenway has been called for by an IFA representative to ensure that the route serves local families and communities – as well as tourists.
Galway IFA Rural Development Representative, Peter Gohery, said that a common-sense approach in relation to the Greenway would steer it towards benefitting local communities as well as tourists.
“There is a lot more consultation with farmers and landowners needed on this project and there are many sections of roadway along this route which would lend themselves to the provision of a walkway cum cycleway alongside the road.
“Not only would this serve the tourism element of the project but it would also ensure that car usage between local villages and towns would also be reduced. This is a win-win situation for everyone,” said Peter Gohery.
He added that a perfect example of such an arrangement was in an approximately five kilometre stretch of roadway between Abbeyknockmoy village and Brooklodge in North Galway. alongside the very busy N63 Galway-Roscommon stretch of road.
“This has turned out to be an outstanding success not only for local people but for the many more visitors who travel to walk or cycle along this route.
“There’s a kerb and a green margin between the roadway and the walkway/cycle way which is busy seven days a week with people along this route.
“Families and children really make wonderful use of this facility. I want Galway County Council to take a look at this and see how successful it is. It really is a template that should be followed in terms of the Greenway development,” said Peter Gohery.
He also said that there needed to be far more ‘real consultation’ with landowners and farmers on the Greenway.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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THE major national suppliers of fertilisers have been asked to come clean and sell their product at current market values – and not at inflated prices based on last year’s costings.
Galway IFA Chairman, Stephen Canavan, told the Farming Tribune that was going on as regards fertiliser prices and supply in the Republic of Ireland ‘was intolerable’ and couldn’t be allowed to continue.
He said that last year, the big national suppliers had ‘made a killing’ on fertiliser prices having cheap stock in hand and then selling it at grossly inflated prices due to the energy crisis caused by the Russian war in Ukraine.
“Fertiliser prices have fallen all over the world – and by quite large margins. All you have to do is to look at the current prices of fertiliser in Northern Ireland – it’s a disgrace what’s happening down here,” said Stephen Canavan.
He added that farmers were coming together to transport lorry loads of fertiliser from Northern Ireland with up to a €200 difference in the price of fertiliser on a north-south basis.
“There is no doubt about it, but that farmers are being held to ransom by the major supplier down here. They just think that they can charge what they like for fertiliser, but that day is gone,” said Stephen Canavan.
He added that farmers were now coming together to organise the importation of lorry loads of fertiliser from Northern Ireland, which even allowing for transport costs, still amounted to major savings.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
PROPOSALS put forward by the Dept. of Agriculture to push back payment dates for a range of agricultural support schemes have been greeted ‘with dismay’ by the IFA and a Galway TD.
East Galway Independent TD, Sean Canney, said it was ‘unbelievable’ at a time of such increased costs for farmers that the Dept. were proposing to ‘push back’ payment dates.
The proposals came to light at last week’s meeting of the Farmers’ Charter when farm representatives were told by the Dept. that the new CAP would require a revision of the charter.
“From my understanding of what was outlined at the Farmers’ Charter, the payment dates for some of the schemes could be put back by up to a month,” said Deputy Canney.
He added that one of the proposals related to delaying the ANC (Areas of Natural Constraint) by four weeks to mid-October was ‘an insult to farmers’ who depended heavily on this money being paid in September.
“Another proposal is to delay the BISS (Basic Income Support for Sustainability) payment by one week which will also lead to unnecessary hardship for farmers.
“Every week’s delay is adding pressure on the farming sector and the Department need to get their act together and stop playing games with farmers’ money. I ask the Minister to intercede and stop this nonsense,” said Deputy Canney.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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