Protesters roll on to talks
As the ICMSA staged a 96-hour continuous protest that is due to end tomorrow, IFA’s robust show of strength has left the Government in no doubt that farmers will not be easily pacified.
IFA president John Dillon has warned progress can only be made if there is a commitment of resources by the Government, including a reversal of recent funding cutbacks.
ICMSA leader Pat O’Rourke also warned that he will not recommend to his National Council to adopt or to be part of any new national agreement that merely reverses recently introduced cuts, while failing to address farm incomes.
In last week’s debate, farmers gained the upper hand in their war of words with Minister Walsh over farm incomes, which has raged since the Central Statistics Office issued its preliminary estimate stating that farm incomes had dropped 8.5% last year. The farm organisations will seek to hold the high ground on this issue in this week’s one to one talks with the Government.
IFA’s insistence six weeks ago that a 13% fall in real incomes made 2002 by far the worst year in farming in the past decade, was the inspiration for their five-day “tractorcade” protest.
Minister Walsh said incomes dropped because 2002 was one of the wettest years on record, markets were difficult and it followed two years when farm incomes rose 39%.
As the debate became more intense, Agriculture House and Bluebell engaged in claim and counter claim. Last week, as IFA insisted that average farm income was 15,800, the Minister said it was 45,000, comparing like with like.
And shortly after the last of 450 tractors had passed over Patrick’s Bridge in Cork, the IFA accused the Minister of waging a gross misinformation campaign, to distract attention from the farm income crisis.
IFA leader John Dillon said it was difficult to see how progress could be made with the Government, until Minister Walsh acknowledged the low income problem in farming.
Minister Walsh responded quickly, saying he particularly regretted the use of terms such as “misinformation” and “misrepresentation.”
He said he also regretted the general tone of the IFA statement, which undermined the otherwise healthy debate currently taking place on Irish farming and its future.
“The use of net figures derived from the 2001 Teagasc survey as a form of comparison with the average industrial wage, which is a gross figure, is incorrect,” he said.
RTE Radio asked senior Teagasc economist Liam Connolly on air the following morning what was the average farm income.
He said the statistics for 2001 show it was 18,500 and that the 45,000 figure was revenue taken in by farmers from sales of livestock and crops, plus EU direct payments.
From the 45,000 revenue, subttracting 30,000 of fixed costs and direct costs left 15,800.
With John Dillon claiming the IFA had been vindicated, and the Minister sticking to his figure of 45,000, the gulf between the Minister and farmers had reached its widest yet.
Signs of reconciliation from the Government side became evident, with Minister Walsh saying, “We are prepared to sit down with the farmers and discuss the particular problems they have, especially in the context of the partnership talks under the agricultural pillar.”
