Avoid wasteful superlevy costs, IFA dairy committee chairman urges farmers and co-operatives
He said he was determined to continue lobbying in Brussels, and with the support from the new Irish government, to obtain greater concessions on quotas before 2015.
“All member states, including countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark and even Germany, need to be able to benefit from the lower quota costs which the so-called soft landing was meant to bring about. This is not currently the case in any of these countries, and I am clear that additional measures are needed before 2015 to reduce the cost of quota and or superlevy for all dairy farmers in Europe, including Irish farmers,” he said.
“However, I expect to encounter a great deal of resistance from the EU Commission and the majority of member states where the soft landing is actually working, so it is likely that, even if successful, our campaign will take time.”
“Meanwhile, I hope we will avoid superlevy this year, and learn from the experience by making sure that farmers reduce their exposure to fines over the coming years,” he said.
