Farmers are the unsung heroes of Climate Action - new chairman of the IFA tells AFM
IN his inauguration speech at the 69th AGM of the Irish Farmers Association supported by FBD, IFA president Francie Gorman said Irish farmers are the unsung heroes of climate action and biodiversity.
“Irish farmers have made huge changes to reduce emissions and improve biodiversity,” he said.
“However, the extreme words and actions of a small but vocal minority risk turning farmers off. Most farmers and most environmentalists agree that our grass-based family farm structure needs to be defended and supported. It is the extremes - on both sides - that are polarising the debate,” he said.
“As farmers, we should be proud of what we do. We are amongst the most sustainable producers of food in the world and we are going to continue to produce food in an environmentally sustainable way,” he said.
“However, it is very frustrating that the Minister for Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture have not lived up to their side of the bargain. The delay in payments through the ACRES scheme and the TAMS scheme to support farmers in such initiatives as building more nutrient storage and erecting solar panels is an abject failure by the Minister and his officials,” he said.
“Farmers’ faith in the Department of agriculture to design and operate schemes has been shattered,” he said.
“I believe farmers are willing to do even more if a more ambitious environment scheme was put in place, such as an inclusive ‘farmer-friendly’ scheme that would pay up to €15,000 per farmer. With the Climate and Nature fund announced in last year’s budget, I believe this can be achieved,” he said.
“The Government needs to work with farmers. We cannot have a repeat of the recent Nitrates debacle. The Government must commit to fighting for our derogation and to include farmers fully in that process,” he said.
There are many other issues which are frustrating farmers, including the recent changes in the ICBF beef indices.
“I want to sit down with the ICBF, as a matter of urgency, to find a solution on this issue. The
Minister must also play his part by showing flexibility in the SCEP scheme,” he said.
“In my presidency, my first option will always be to negotiate, but if that doesn’t work then all other options will be considered.
“Farmers feel under siege at present and we cannot allow that to continue. The Government must recognise the frustration that is out there and start to address it. Otherwise, we risk losing farmers and a generation of much-needed new entrants,” he said.
“During the election, several key issues came up again and again. For the next four years, my focus will be on ensuring: - A much bigger say in Irish and EU policy - That farmers are acknowledged and paid for the work they do - And a stronger and more vibrant IFA Firstly, we need to develop and influence policy. That work starts now. Like any organisation, we need to adapt. I promised change and I want to deliver on that.
“I intend to maximise the strength and reputation of IFA. I want to see us front and centre in devising policy that rewards our sustainable farming practices, irrespective of where you farm in this country. We have to respect and respond to the concerns of all members. And I want to deliver positive results for farmers. At the end of the day, it’s about putting more money into farmers’ pockets.”
He continued: “Farmers must be rewarded for the positive role they play in delivering on this country’s environmental ambition. ACRES, in its current form, does not deliver in this regard. We need a much better scheme, that properly rewards all farmers with payments of up to €15,000. We have invested billions in our farms.
“We have taken on new practices in a huge way to enhance our position as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly food producing nations on the planet. Too often, how we are portrayed is both inaccurate and unfair.”
He said Irish farmers are the unsung heroes of the climate and biodiversity debate. “We are one of the most sustainable food producing countries in the world. We have the climate and the skillset.
We need to recognise and reward farmers for the positive role they play.
“My message for those who spend their time knocking farmers. We are not going to stop producing top quality, sustainable food.”
He said the current Government has failed to support primary producers since it came into office. Farmers’ livelihoods are under most threat. From CAP to Nitrates to TAMS to VAT to late payments, this Government has let farmers down.
“The delay to payments last autumn was completely unacceptable. The necessary staff resources should have been put in place to ensure payments were made on time. While others, rightly, received Christmas bonuses and top ups from the State, farmers were left in the lurch. Some received no payments at a time of the year when cash flow was under most pressure. This has been an abject failure of the Minister and his Department.
“The handling of policy in our forestry sector is another example of this. Farmers’ faith in the Department to administer schemes and deliver payments on time has been shattered,” he said.
“The Department must sit down with us to devise a new and effective regime for payments and inspections,” he added.
He said the EU is trying to undermine farmers’ competitive advantage by designing regulations which do not give fair credit to Ireland’s grass-based system.
“A typical example of this was the recent Nitrates debacle. Our Minister and his Department agreed to a completely flawed review mechanism, which resulted in our derogation going from 250kg to 220kg of organic nitrogen per hectare for most parts of the country. This Government, and the one which succeeds it, must fight for Irish farming and our sustainable grass-based system. There must be no repeat of their shambolic handling of the Nitrates review.
“Farm incomes will be the number one priority during my term as President. Discussions on the new CAP for 2028 have already started. Farmers and sustainable food production must be front and centre of the next CAP. This Government must fight for a larger CAP budget, with a focus on food production. They cannot limit their ambition to just maintaining the status quo. Farmers need to be properly rewarded in a way that reflects the rising cost of production. We can no longer accept our CAP supports being raided to deliver environmental ambition. This should instead be funded through a separate budget. Farmers in all sectors, the vulnerable sectors in particular, are under serious and constant income pressure. This cannot continue. Put simply, farmers producing top-quality food while safeguarding the environment must be properly rewarded,” he said.
He added: “One other issue I want to put down a marker on is this Government’s agenda to make plans for our land. Farmers are increasingly concerned about being taken for granted by the State and some private developers on infrastructure projects such as roads, Greenways, electricity lines, and pipelines.
“Let me be clear – there must be full agreement before any developer enters their land. Re-wetting, designation, the Zoned Land Tax, and the Land Use Review are all attempts to undermine farmers’ rights to farm their land. 76% of the land in this country is held by farmers. It is not owned by the State, its ours, and we will not allow it to be confiscated by stealth. I have a clear message for this Government and future Governments: Hands off our land.”