ICMSA to demand plan to improve farm incomes
President Pat O’Rourke said he was convinced that farmers needed to see a serious effort by the Government to put in place policies to increase substantially farm incomes.
While most of these policies would come from the EU, clearly there were national costs on agriculture which must be curtailed, if not reduced, Mr O’Rourke said.
He said while he recognised the input of Minister Walsh to the growing opposition to the Fischler proposals from member states, the only way farm incomes could be improved in a determined way was for a Commission on Farm Incomes to be established.
He said the ICMSA welcomed support from other sectors, including the Consumers Association of Ireland and other social partners IBEC and ICTU, who saw the merit of a vibrant agri-food sector.
Such development must be built on profitable farming and substantially-increased farm incomes. Farmers would not tolerate a new national agreement at the direct expense of farm incomes, especially when market returns were declining, he said.
