Latest news with #IrishFarmersAssociation
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Farmers protest in Dublin over EU plans to merge Cap budget into single fund
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and the group representing co-ops held a protest in Dublin on Tuesday, warning against a plan to to remove the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) budget in favour of a once-off funding approach to the EU budget. Farmers and farming representatives took part in the 'flash action' at the European Commission offices on Tuesday morning. The IFA and Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) protest coincides with a flash action organised by Copa Cogeca, the largest representative union of more than 22 million European farmers in Brussels. The protests come as the EU Commission has put forward proposals to amalgamate Cap into a single fund. READ MORE The move has sparked concern in the agricultural sector, which warns that their funding could be stripped back over the years as it will not be ring-fenced. 'The Cap budget has been in place since the Treaty of Rome, way back in the 1950s, and it was put in place to make sure that we would have food security across Europe, which was paramount and is still paramount today,' Alice Doyle, deputy president of the IFA, said. 'If that budget is subsumed into the main European budget, it can be pilfered at any time, to be used for any purpose. 'We want this ring-fenced, as it has always been from the very beginning, ring-fenced to support farmers across Europe and here in Ireland in particular.' She added: 'If it is not ring-fenced, the income of farmers would be reduced dramatically, because we all depend on that direct payment coming from Europe. That's part of our basic income scheme.' Ms Doyle also raised concern about the knock-on impact for rural Ireland because farmers are based there and 'every penny they earn is spent in rural Ireland'. Edward Carr, a diary farmer from Tipperary, president of the ICOS and chairman of Arrabawn Co-operative, said the Cap budget is being targeted. 'The proposed changes are very concerning for the future of farmers within our country,' Mr Carr said. 'It's concerning because the Cap was brought in few years ago for us as a protection that we produce cheap food. 'It has to be taken into consideration that we are probably one of the best countries on the globe to produce sustainable food in a sustainable manner, while protecting the environment. 'I think it's just come to the stage where farmers have to stand up for themselves and protect themselves. The future of this cheap, sustainable food being produced has to be protected. It's time for Europe to pay more heed to this.' – PA
Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Farm organisations protest in Dublin over possible CAP changes
'Flash action' planned in opposition to mooted proposal to move CAP budget to a once-off funding model Farming organisations are to stage a 'flash action' at the EU Commission offices in Dublin today, warning against plans to strip away the CAP budget in favour of once-off funding to be divvied out by member countries. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) protest outside EU Commission offices in Dublin at 9.30am will coincide with a flash action organised by Copa Cogeca, the largest representative union of more than 22 million European farmers in Brussels.
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Bovine TB Q&A: What is it and why is incidence of the disease increasing on Irish farms?
What is bovine tuberculosis? Bovine Tuberculosis is a highly infectious disease of cattle caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). M. bovis can cause disease in other domestic or wild animals and in humans. How is it being contracted? According to the Department of Agriculture , cattle can become infected by breathing air contaminated by infected animals; consuming contaminated food or water; moving infected animals into a previously clear herd; contact with other infected animals, such as across fences or at shared watering points; sharing machinery or facilities between farms; and using dirty lorries to transport animals. How widespread is the disease in Ireland? Bovine TB disease levels in recent years have risen significantly with a recorded herd incidence increase from 4.31 per cent in 2022 to 6.04 per cent in 2024. Between 2022 and 2024, there has been a 36 per cent increase in the number of herds restricted, and according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), more than 6,000 farmers have lost more than 40,000 productive animals to the disease over the past 12 months. Addressing an Oireachtas committee in November , senior veterinary inspector with the Department of Agriculture Damien Barrett said that 5,906 herds suffered a TB breakdown in the last 12 months, compared to 4,914 in the same period the year before. A TB breakdown is when a herd loses its officially TB free (OTF) status due to the illness being suspected or confirmed. READ MORE Why is the incidence of bovine TB on Irish farms increasing? Mr Barrett said that data analysis suggests the underlying reasons for the increased incidence are the expansion of dairy farming 'and the resulting increased levels of intensive cattle farming and the increased movement of cattle'. He added that these conditions are associated with heightened susceptibility to disease, whether that is TB or any other infectious disease. What is being done to address the issue? Last week, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon announced that there would be an emergency meeting on Thursday, May 8th, to discuss a revamp of the TB eradication programme. In a statement in advance of the meeting, the Minister said that 'an increasing number of farm families are facing the emotional and financial hardship of a TB breakdown'. 'Having been on a downward trajectory, disease levels have deteriorated in recent years and reached a point not seen since 2003. The stark reality is that we have reached a crossroads in our efforts to control and ultimately eradicate bovine TB.' Describing the disease as challenging to control and eradicate, Mr Heydon said that 'left unchecked, this disease will impact many more families throughout rural Ireland and the output of our agri-sector particularly in terms of lost production at both farm level and at processor level. 'It is essential that we take decisive action now to reverse the current trends. We cannot allow our farmers or rural economy to suffer by not tackling this disease head on.' He added that although challenging, there is precedent for addressing the issue and it 'can and has been done elsewhere'. The Department of Agriculture is expected to announce a set of new Government proposals following the meeting today. How much is bovine TB costing farmers and the Government? The IFA recently commissioned a report that indicates TB is costing farmers more than €150 million a year, while the Government is spending around €100 million annually in dealing with the disease on farms. In his Oireachtas address last year, Mr Barrett said that costs of running the TB eradication programme had increased from €57 million in 2023 to €74 million as of the end of last month, excluding staff costs. He added that the overall costs were on track to increase further in 2025.
