ICMSA approves national agreement

THE Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) national council approved the new national agreement Towards 2016 at a special meeting in Limerick.

ICMSA president Jackie Cahill said while there are unsatisfactory elements to the document, and resentment at unfairness towards dairy farmers, overall he was satisfied it provided a solid platform for Irish farming going forward over the next seven years.

He told the council there had been constant contact between ICMSA general secretary Ciaran Dolan and Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach.

Mr Cahill said an undertaking had been received in writing from Mr McCarthy that funding for the new herd/health initiative can be considered in the overall Exchequer provisions set out in the partnership agreement.

Members of the IFA executive council earlier ratified the agreement at a meeting in Dublin.

Macra na Feirme president Colm Markey welcomed the conclusion to partnership negotiations between Government and the agriculture pillar as a “fair deal”.

Mr Markey said Macra in particular welcomed key measures for young farmers including the retention of the Early Retirement Scheme and an enhanced Installation Aid Scheme.

The package of measures provided in the agreement for the farming sector over the next seven years will be worth €6.8 billion, Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan announced last month.