GALWAY IFA Chair Stephen Canavan said this week that farmers wouldn’t be ‘shedding any tears’ at the demise of the Green Party in last week’s General Election.

He said that the Greens had adopted an ‘over-zealous’ approach to farmers in terms of environmental goals and wanted them to be ‘best in class’ at everything.

“Farming and agriculture have made huge contribution as regards environmental measures including in emissions reduction where we are right up there near the top of the league.

“We have delivered in bucket-loads as regards emissions reductions but we don’t seem to get the recognition we deserve from the powers that be,” Stephen Canavan told the Farming Tribune.

He called on the new Government to prioritise issues such as the cost of doing business; over-regulation; the complexity of farming schemes; and ‘delivering’ as regards much improved suckler and sheep payments.

“Cattle, sheep and milk prices are all very positive at the moment but input costs are continuing to rise too, such as in contractors’ costs, diesel, machinery repairs and purchase, as well as veterinary bills

Stephen Canavan said that over the coming weeks and months they would be engaging with the new Government to keep agriculture and farming at the top of the political agenda.

“We have, for example, schemes like ACRES – which should have been a very positive one for farmers – getting totally bogged in red-tape and complexities.

“Farmers are willing, and want to, comply with what’s asked of them in schemes but these must be kept simple and straightforward,” he added.

He said that at local level, he wanted to congratulate all the TDs who were elected last Friday and indeed everyone who put their names forward for election.

“We will be talking to each of them over the coming weeks and we want them to keep the faith in farming – it’s an absolute core part of the Irish economy and the Irish way of life,” said Stephen Canavan.

Pictured: Stephen Canavan: Greens couldn’t be satisfied.