Old farming ways past sell-by date
Charlie Reilly, president, said the old ways are past their sell-by date. The current system has bankrupt drystock farmers and sapped morale.
"No positive solutions have been put forward by any other farm organisation. It is easy to say no to everything.
It is easy to have answers for everything but solutions to nothing. The truth is that it is time to look to the market place for a better income," he said.
Mr Reilly warned that WTO changes in agricultural trading rules will mean that a continuation of the current CAP model is no longer sustainable.
He said subsidy rather than market led production of beef has not worked as far as Irish farm incomes are concerned.
"A continuation of this policy will be disastrous for Irish farmers if export refunds are cut, as is likely under the Doha Round," he said.
Mr Reilly claimed that retaining the status quo in terms of agricultural supports is the wrong option.
De-coupled supports will be even more essential in the event of reduced export refunds, because they will allow farmers to match production to European market requirements,” he said.
