Minister and farmers divided on plans

IRISH reaction to the EU Commission’s new CAP document has been widely divergent – broadly welcomed by the Government, but slammed by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith said the reforms met with the three strategic aims he had sought from the Commission: security of food supply, sustainable management of natural resources and maintenance of viable rural areas.

“I have had a number of meetings with the Commission and I am pleased to say that at least some of my concerns have been allayed, notably concerning the continuation of the decoupled direct payments to farmers.

“It is very early days in the negotiations. My priorities are to defend payments to Irish farmers, to ensure there are adequate measures in place to support the market in times of crisis and to maintain a strong rural development programme that supports competitiveness and sustainability.”

Meanwhile, IFA President John Bryan said the options included in the Commission’s document would cause a shift in farm supports from the high-cost, highly regulated production systems in Western Europe to the low-cost economies of Eastern Europe.

Mr Bryan said: “The redistribution of direct payments that would result from the implementation of the Commission proposals would be devastating for productive farms across all enterprises. It would seriously undermine agriculture in Ireland, with damaging consequences for farm incomes, agricultural output, food exports, jobs and the rural economy.”