Farming groups reject reforms
Macra na Feirme also said the proposed reforms would be detrimental to young people entering farming.
IFA president John Dillon said the proposals would seriously undermine the future of farming and were a particularly severe attack on the beef industry.
He said Commissioner Franz Fischler was going to push farmers out of beef production to make way for beef imports from the United States, South America and Australia.
He said the full resources of the Government would have to be mobilised to resist the Fischler plan. Mr Dillon said the national beef output from the suckler herd would be cut by one third.
This would mean a loss in exports to the economy of €300 million, including the loss of CAP direct payments.
There would be further substantial losses in the sheep and grain sectors.
The ICMSA said the Government and social partners should jointly reject the proposals which would slash farm income by 45%. President Pat O’Rourke, said the measures, should they be introduced, would totally undermine the profitability of the dairy industry.
There would be substantial job losses in the sector and the consequences for rural areas and towns would be far-reaching. “Some €250 million will be taken out of farmers’ incomes per year if these cuts are to be implemented.
“When account is taken of the induced down side of these cuts, up to €400 million in losses could accrue for Ireland,” said Mr O’Rourke.
But the ICSA welcomed the plan and claimed it offers the prospect of increased income for cattle and sheep farmers. Charlie Reilly, president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association said decoupling was good for income as far as cattle and sheep farmers are concerned.
He said he was particularly encouraged by the analysis carried out for Irish farming (FAPRI), which predicts an 11% increase in real terms if the Fischler decoupling proposals are accepted.
