Action needed on falling farm incomes
Minister Walsh said afterwards that he recognised the difficulties experienced by farmers arising form the weather conditions.
As a result, he had raised with EU Commissioner Franz Fischler the issue of increasing the advances in direct payments to 80%. He believed the Commission would be sympathetic to his proposal.
But the IFA president John Dillon said the meeting had failed to make any progress on farm incomes and that the Minister had rejected IFA proposals for a viability programme for the worst hit weather-stricken farmers.
However, Mr Dillon said he acknowledged the commitment from the Minister to bring forward direct payments due later in the year to October 16 at 80%.
Minister Walsh said he had listened to the IFA views on a range of issues. He had already taken a number of initiatives on these at EU and international level in relation to supporting markets.
The Commission had responded to these requests to stimulate the dairy market through increased use of intervention and export refunds.
Minister Walsh stressed that special attention was being devoted to re-opening non-EU markets and in particular to getting a significant flow of commercial product to Egypt.
Mr Walsh noted that the IFA emphasised their unqualified support for the Nice Treaty and said further discussions would take place on the various issues raised. Later last night, the Minister met with the ICMSA, who have also been demanding Government action on the farm income issue.
ICMSA president Pat O'Rourke warned that the crisis will also have major implications for employment in the food sector and the service sector in rural areas.
Meanwhile, a protest by 150 IFA members at Kinsale Port in Co Cork yesterday, after the arrival of a 2,200 tonne shipment of wheat, was later lifted to enable talks to take place with the importer.
