Young farmer conference to discuss CAP
Each Macra region should nominate a member to attend, to deliver a unified CAP reform message from young farmers all over Europe to the EU institutions.
Irish delegates can register by contacting Nora Peters at npeters@macra.ie/01-426 8910.
With 6% of European farmers under 35 years of age, measures are needed to encourage new entrants to European agriculture, says Macra, which is working in association with CEJA, the European Council of Young Farmers, on the conference, entitled ‘RDP — Delivering for Young Agri-Entrepreneurs 2014-2020’. The conference, which will contribute to the EU-wide debate on the next rural development programme, takes place in the Castleknock Hotel, Dublin, and speakers will include European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos; chairman of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, Simon Coveney; MEP Mairead McGuinness; and professor in agriculture and food economics, UCD, Alan Renwick.
Other speakers will set out the expectations of Europe’s new generation of farmers.
The conference will be followed by a reception in Áras an Uachtaráin, with President Michael D Higgins, and an international banquet in the Trinity College Dublin dining hall.
The conference will be followed on Tuesday by a study visit to the Teagasc Grange centre at Trim, Co Meath, and a Bord Bia demonstration on measuring the carbon footprint of Irish farms.
On Wednesday, the CEJA international young farmers’ working group will be followed by a press conference.
*Later this year, Macra will again be at the forefront of the rural youth organisations across Europe when it hosts the European Rally, a week-long leadership programme of workshops and activities on the theme ‘Get Involved, Be the Change: Mobilising Rural Communities to Active Citizenship’.
It will take place in the Gurteen Agricultural College, Co Tipperary, Aug 3-10.
