Only farm group to support CAP reform elects a new president this weekend

A SUCCESSOR to Charlie Reilly, ending his four year term as president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association, will be elected in Portlaoise on Sunday night.

About 100 national executive members will vote in a new president for the 8,000 member farmer organisation, the only one in Ireland to support the CAP reform proposals which an ICSA delegation will discuss with EU Commissioner Franz Fischler today, to press for better provisions for young farmers and hardship cases, and more flexible calculation of reference amounts. "It is better to start negotiating now for the necessary adjustment to the proposals rather than bury our heads in the sand", said Charlie Reilly.

Martin Coughlan is the ICSA Munster vice-president. From Carrick-on-Suir, he finishes 300 cattle each year, mainly off grass.