Election candidate insists IFA must focus on gaining equality for farmers

ENSURING that farmers are treated as equal partners with government, processors and retailers must dominate the Irish Farmers’ Association agenda over the coming years.

That’s the view of John Bryan, who is one of three candidates seeking election as the IFA’s next president.

One of his campaign commitments is to “a new and smarter style of leadership in order to bring the agri-food sector centre stage in economic recovery”.

Mr Bryan said the savage cutbacks imposed over the last 12 months will devastate farm incomes and will cost the economy more than double the actual savings.

“The impact of the REPS closure will mean job losses of more than 20,000, resulting in massive increases in spending on Farm Assist and unemployment payments,” he said.

A former National Livestock Committee chairman, Mr Bryan said the Government has completely reneged on the last two partnership deals negotiated by the IFA.

The supermarkets are second only to the banks in the way they have ripped off the Irish economy. Partnership cannot be a one-way street, he said.

Mr Bryan, the current Kilkenny County IFA chairman, and his wife Rena run a suckler beef farm at Cappagh, Inistioge.

Bringing the IFA to the forefront in a campaign to rationalise milk processing structures, leading to a more efficient and innovative dairy sector, is one of his priorities. Another is protecting the single farm payment in the forthcoming EU negotiations and ensuring that the linkage with production is maintained.

The other two candidates seeking election as IFA president are deputy president Derek Deane of Hacketstown, Co Carlow and dairy committee chairman Richard Kennedy of Clarina, Co Limerick.

Voting in the 947 IFA branches in 29 country executives begins on December 1 and continues until December 16. The national count will be held in Dublin on December 21.