Irish Farmers Association criticise European Commission's €80m agri-food package

The European Commission has announced an €80m package of measures to support the agri-food sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.

They include private storage aid for some dairy and meat products while demand remains low.

The scheme will also allow products to be temporarily withdrawn from the market for up to six months.

The EU's Agriculture Commissioner says he's confident the measures will relieve markets and lead to rapid results.

The Irish Farmers Association has criticised the package as being "completely inadequate" while the ICMSA says each farmer will only benefit by around €8 each.

"While the Aids to Private Storage (APS) Scheme is an acknowledgement of the problems facing the sector, the funding won't be sufficient," IFA president Tim Cullinan told RTÉ.

"I am concerned that the EU Commission appears to be taking agriculture and the food supply chain for granted."