IFA ‘looks forward’ to working with Hogan on shaping the future of CAP
IFA president Eddie Downey said the association looked forward to working closely with the Mr Hogan in shaping the future of the Common Agricultural Policy in a way that will have a positive impact on Irish and European farm families.
Mr Downey said an immediate issue is the impact of the Russian ban on the agriculture sector and measures that are needed to comprehensively address it.
“There are important decisions ahead for the agriculture sector, including the future direction of the CAP, excessive EU bureaucracy, climate change restrictions, EU retail legislation and damaging trade deals.
“Irish and European farmers need a strong voice around the commission table. Through our Brussels office, we will work with Commissioner Hogan and his officials to secure strong support for farm families into the future,” he said.
Mr Downey welcomed the appointment of Peter Power, Tom Tynan, and Dermot Ryan to Mr Hogan’s Cabinet.
“The mid-term review of the CAP will be a key opportunity to re-focus towards a common policy that supports food production and ensures a viable living for active, productive farmers. The right outcome on these policy areas will only be achieved by having a commissioner who recognises that the direction of the CAP needs to change,” he said.
Meanwhile, IFA Dairy Committee chairman Seán O’Leary has reiterated that EU market support measures are required for the dairy industry. He said the measures are needed to help turn around international buyers’ sentiments, badly dented by market imbalance and the knock-on effect of the Russian ban.
“The Russian ban has come at a time when markets were already fragile because supplies had been growing at nearly double the rate of consumption growth for some months.
“I have no doubt its knock-on impact on commodity prices will be hopefully short lived, but farmers should not have to suffer the cost of what is essentially the outcome of geopolitical decisions made by the EU,” he said.
