‘Decoupling will allow us farm sensibly’
Margaret, from Kanturk in Co Cork, who has been farming for as long as she can remember, said she will now aim to supply what the markets need, not what the subsidies encouraged her to.
An executive member of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA), which supports full decoupling of production from subsidies, she runs a 110-acre beef farm plus a pig enterprise in Drumcummer with her husband Dermot. She said the concept of full decoupling is a good one and should positively affect Ireland’s agricultural markets, especially for beef farmers, without causing too many production and income hiccups.
It will also reduce the volume of paperwork, a prospect welcomed by Margaret as she says fine tuning the figures takes up precious time and energy.
She firmly rejected suggestions that cutting the link between production and farm support payments will result in farmers abandoning their land and ceasing to farm.
“Full decoupling will give us back that ability to farm sensibly and allow us freedom to increase or decrease our cattle herds as we choose,” she said.
“As the system was up to now, the factories, with one press of a button, were able to anticipate livestock numbers coming on stream for sale and alter prices to suit.
“But now the reality will be that any farmer will be able to go out and buy or sell without being locked into a timeframe of constraints.”
Margaret said many family members and friends are dairy farmers and she sympathised with them on the bad deal they got. Margaret, a mother of four, said she has always loved farming.
“I love the outdoors. I love the activity involved in farming. I just couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” she said, hoping that yesterday’s deal will now make that task more rewarding.
