Crucial partnership decision for Dillon and IFA Council
The Council must decide on remaining outside the partnership and weakening its relationships with the Government, or joining up and alienating a major section of the IFA membership.
On-going farming difficulties, low prices and cost increases for farmers stemming from the December, 2002 Budget seem to have entrenched farmer opposition to any partnership involvement.
But , in the higher ranks of the IFA and among a sizeable minority of farmers, there is acceptance that remaining outside the partnership may not be the best long term choice for the organisation.
Talks between IFA and the Government over the past week achieved very little, with little or no progress made on the major issues.
The Government hasn't budged from its decisions to double disease levies in 2003 and pass a number of other additional slaughter related charges on to the beef sector. Similarly, it has refused to give way on the abolition of roll over relief for land acquired under Compulsory Purchase Orders, even though this decision undermined a deal negotiated by the IFA with the National Roads Authority for better payments for road development land.
The only ground being yielded on disease levies is talk of a 'review' in respect of 2004, with no pre-commitments on its outcome.
Meanwhile, the Government decision to implement the Nitrates Directive nationally has come as a bitter pill for the IFA. Farmers will have to observe legally binding restrictions on the use of nitrates, and register with local authorities for the spreading of slurry.
Negotiations are ongoing on the revision of payments to farmers in REPS which could be increased by up to 30%, and biased in favour of smaller farms and a higher grant aid ceiling in the Farm Waste Management Scheme, going from 200 units to 300 units.
IFA Council members around the country are now being briefed by local farmers as to how they should vote on the partnership decision at next week's meeting.
