Farmers upbeat at seminar and not just because they got paid

On Friday, Oct 19, thousands of farmers received the first tranche of their single farm payment — aptly, that night there was a ‘your farm, your business’ seminar in Carrigaline, Co Cork.

The message was one of optimism. Two months earlier that message would have led to a lynching.

At the seminar, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney discussed his battle to get a good result for Ireland in the CAP reform discussions. “Tough negotiations lie ahead,” he said.