Budget must not impact negatively on farmers

Animal feed merchants have warned that their extension of credit to farmers has reached unsustainable levels. It’s one of the many financial consequences of a year of dreadful weather and a global grain shortage.

Teagasc has estimated that farm incomes could fall back to 2010 levels, slumping 30% compared to last year.

As a result, farm families face Budget 2013 with even more trepidation that the average citizen trying to cope with increased taxes and charges and reduced services.