Coveney optimistic that keeping commitments will win back FG support
He said in the last general election farmers voted in huge numbers for Fine Gael, well over 60%.
The Irish Examiner poll says 37% of farmers would still vote for Fine Gael if there was an election in the morning.
“But it also says that over 30% of farmers are undecided. So the farmers that voted for Fine Gael, that are now unsure, are not committing to voting for anyone else.
“In fact, if you look at Fianna Fáil support among farmers, it essentially reduced by 3-4%.
“So really what it says to me is that we need to see through our commitments and aspirations for the agri-food sector.
“Those farmers that are wavering somewhat, who would have voted for Fine Gael in the last election, will, I think come back,” he said.
Minister Coveney didn’t come to the championships empty-handed as he announced that payments worth €125m under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme started issuing, on schedule, yesterday.
He said he was pleased to see that these payments are issuing on target, particularly given the significance of Direct Aid payments to individual farmers and the wider rural community.
“I expect that over 60,000 eligible farmers will receive their payments in the coming days,” he said, before going walkabout among the farmers.
Mr Coveney was accompanied by Minister of State Tom Hayes and European Parliament member Máiréad McGuinness, who travelled from Brussels with the news that the “CAP is done and dusted”.
He said the numbers attending the ploughing championships this year were expected to be beyond anything that had been seen previously. That was a reflection of the mood in agriculture at the moment.
After a tough year, the sector was still growing. It was hoped a target of €10bn for food and drink exports this year will be reached.
Only a few years ago that figure was €8bn.
He also confirmed that arrangements are on target to allow payment of the 50% Advance of the Single Payment, with effect from Oct 16.
Minister of State Tom Hayes said his department will immediately commence the process for issuing financial approvals for 1,500 hectares of new forestry planting for the current autumn planting season.
“I believe that forestry is a land-use option for farmers and landowners that merits serious consideration and the issue of financial approvals for the autumn planting season is an excellent opportunity for them to progress this option,” he said.
About 60 farmers who get an annual single farm payment of more than €150,000 face a cap at that level in 2015. Member states must start pruning payments at that level, by at least 5%, after this week’s progress on some outstanding issues in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform talks.
But Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said yesterday he thinks Ireland will opt for a 100% cap, ensuring no Irish farmer gets more than €150,000. “The CAP should not really be about supporting very, very large commercial entities,” he said.
However, he will have to consider a wide range of views in implementing CAP reform. He has received 40 submissions in his consultation on implementation.
This week’s progress by MEPs and member states came days before a deadline. The parliament’s agriculture committee must approve the overall CAP package next Monday, if it is to take effect on time in 2014. Member states will vote on the deal on Oct 7, and a plenary vote in the European Parliament is expected in Nov.
— Stephen Cadogan
