Latest News

3 OCTOBER 2017

ICSA president Patrick Kent has said he is outraged that the European Commission has decided to propose a 70,000 ton beef quota as part of the Mercosur trade deal. “This amounts to a complete sell out of beef farmers across Europe with the likelihood that Irish farmers will feel the brunt. It defies logic to agree to a quota that will have such a detrimental effect on a native industry that is already under severe pressure. ”

“The Mercosur countries have failed to meet EU standards on the fundamental issues of food safety and traceability. EU beef farmers have endeavoured over many years to ensure the very highest standards are met at every stage of production. Agreeing to allow more and more inferior quality beef into Europe simply cannot be justified.”

In addition Mr Kent said “Coupled with what we know of inferior South American production practices, poor animal welfare regulations and disregard for environmental considerations makes it even more galling that the Commission should agree to this concession.”

ENDS

28 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA president Patrick Kent has welcomed comments by Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly TD indicating that a cap of three years contributions will apply to family farms in the Fair Deal scheme. “Minister Daly has assured me this cap will apply to productive farm assets and that farmers won’t be disproportionately discriminated against any longer,” said Mr Kent.

Commenting on the latest developments ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock said, “ICSA has always believed that a three year cap was the most equitable solution for farming families and small businesses. As the scheme currently stands, perfectly viable farms and business could be rendered unviable because of the inherent unfairness built into the scheme. This has resulted in a deep seated fear of the scheme in rural Ireland with many believing that opting into the Fair Deal scheme could eventually lead to the sale of their farm to pay for nursing home fees.”

Continuing Mr Sherlock said, “I commend Minister Daly for his action on this issue and await immediate approval from both the Attorney General and the Cabinet so that family farms and businesses can be preserved for the next generation.”

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27 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA has called for an immediate increase in ANC payments at a meeting with Minister Michael Creed in Dublin today. Following the meeting ICSA president Patrick Kent said: “The restoration of ANC payments must be a priority in the short term and in the longer term we need to demand full funding of the CAP post Brexit.”

ICSA has also demanded an extension to the slurry spreading deadline. “With the weather set to remain difficult for the coming days there is a real crisis emerging on many farms that still have slurry to get out. The closing date of 15 October is completely unworkable. At this stage, the last thing we want to see is panic spreading of slurry in the coming days in wet conditions.”

Regarding Brexit ICSA is calling for a fully funded CAP whatever the outcome of Brexit talks. ICSA wants to see trade issues being discussed as soon as possible .”We see positives in the statement from the UK Prime Minister with her reference to a two year transition period. We need to keep tariff free access to UK markets as a key objective and the longer we can maintain normality the better.”

ICSA also insisted that Ireland must take a very strong stand against any concessions on beef in the Mercosur trade talks. “It is inconceivable that any beef would be allowed in under a tariff rate quota at a time when our markets are in a state of complete flux due to Brexit uncertainty. We also made a very strong case that it would be intolerable to allow more Brazilian beef in after the scandal of adulterated meat from Brazil earlier this year. The CETA agreement has already done a lot of damage to the beef sector.”

ICSA has also called for reopening of the organics scheme. “We need to do much better in developing high value export markets for beef and lamb. However, we need more critical mass in terms of farmers who are certified organic but the current closure of the organics scheme is a real setback for the sector.”

 ICSA also emphasised to the Minister the importance of payment on time this year on all schemes.

The ICSA delegation consisted of ICSA president Patrick Kent, general secretary Eddie Punch, beef chair Edmond Phelan, sheep chair John Brooks and rural development chair Seamus Sherlock.

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25 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock has hit back at calls by David McWilliams to tax land to the hilt. “This is the sort of populist nonsense that would be more at home in Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe and we all know how that has panned out.”

Mr Sherlock said extraordinary comments by Mr McWilliams which describes land as a “useless asset which generates no innovation, no creativity, no enhanced productivity” ignored the fact that outside of the cities, land in Europe is used not only to feed the population but is also the basis for attracting tourists, is a store for carbon and is increasingly used as a source of renewable energy.

“During the crash when this country was at risk of going under, farmers kept their shoulders to the wheel and used the land to increase our agri-food exports year after year to some €11.15 billion in 2016. This would not have been possible if we had taxed land to the hilt or dismissed it as useless. Unlike other sectors, the value of agri-food exports has minimal import content and has a trickle down benefit to all rural communities rather than being repatriated internationally.”

“Far from analysis, Mr McWilliams’ article (Irish Independent, 23 September) is redolent of the kind of thinking based on begrudgery that inspired Robert Mugabe’s thugs to take over farmland in Zimbabwe which has resulted in the large scale displacement of some of Africa’s most successful farmers. The outcome has been catastrophic and the bread basket of Southern Africa has become the basket case.”

“While there may well be a case to incentivise the development of inner city sites in Dublin for housing, this is no excuse to impose another burden on hard working farmers in rural Ireland who are already under severe income pressure. Far from being privileged, farmers who own land have seen their labours increasingly undermined by greedy retailers and processors who take more and more margin from the food chain. A far better focus would be to take a fair share of tax from such operations who are clearly making billions off the back of farmers,” concluded Mr Sherlock.

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25 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA president Patrick Kent has said that the Florence speech on Brexit by UK Prime Minister Theresa May is a hopeful sign that pragmatism is starting to get the upper hand. “We now have an acceptance on the UK side that a transition period of about two years, during which the UK would stay in the single market, is the preferred option.  This is a much more pragmatic position than the extreme euro sceptic position of some within the Tory party who wanted little or no transition and it suggests that the chances of a softer Brexit have increased.”

Mr Kent also welcomed the acceptance that the UK will have to make some financial contribution to the EU for a period. “This offer will be well short of what the EU wants but it gets us beyond the logjam of whether the UK was liable for anything into a negotiation over how much.”

“It has always been clear that a transition period would be an essential element of moving towards a trading relationship where tariffs would not apply to exports between Europe and the UK.  Although there is still a lot of complexity and uncertainty around trade deals, the speech gives hope that there is much less likelihood of Irish exports to the UK being undermined between now and 2021.  Moreover, Ms May has been careful not to be too precise about the transition period and it is essential that flexibility to extend it further is kept in play.”

Mr Kent added that the re-election of a government in Germany led by Angela Merkel was also a positive outcome. “Chancellor Merkel seems much more pragmatic than her opponent Martin Schulz of the SPD who leans more towards the strand of opinion which prioritises making the UK suffer for leaving the EU.”

“The speech by Ms May should be seen as an opportunity by the EU to make progress on Brexit talks. In particular, it should be seen as a sign of progress by EU heads of state at the EU summit meeting in October.  The time for grand-standing is now past,” concluded Mr Kent.

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20 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA president Patrick Kent has said he is extremely worried about the viability of the tillage sector. “The Government, in conjunction with the tillage sector, must prioritise devising a strategy to make a viable future for tillage farming in Ireland.”

Mr Kent said that the key elements will include more use of native ingredients in livestock rations, a re-examination of the case for sugar beet, support for energy crops across Europe and closer links between livestock farmers and tillage farmers.

“Cheap grain is no good for anybody as it leads to downward pressure on meat prices. We also need sufficient tillage farmers to provide adequate amounts of straw for the livestock sector. ICSA also believes that a much tougher line will have to be taken in relation to the malting sector.”

To ensure the voice of tillage farmers is heard loud and clear ICSA will today officially launch a tillage committee at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore. The event will commence at 2.30pm and will take the form of a panel discussion followed by a question and answers session. Panellists for the occasion will be Darragh Cleary – 2016 Tillage farmer of the year, David Shortall from Quinn’s of Baltinglass and tillage farmer Seamus Duggan.

The ICSA stand is located on Block 2, Row 13, Stand 294. All are welcome to attend.

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19 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA president Patrick Kent has said he is unhappy with the pressure being applied to live animal valuers. Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships ahead of today’s launch of ICSA’s new Animal Health & Welfare Committee Mr Kent said, “Live animal valuers are independent assessors and either they are up to the job or they are not. They should not have to put up with officials sitting at a desk second guessing them.”

“The Department of Agriculture has a penalty point system which holds the threat of disqualifying valuers from the approved panel if they are unhappy with their valuations. These experts in their field are living under continuous threat of being thrown off the panel if they deviate even slightly from theoretical figures determined by paper based analysis.”

Continuing Mr Kent said, “This might work in the case of beef animals but anyone with a remote appreciation for livestock evaluation knows that there can be significant variations in the values of suckler cows or dairy cows. Both the Department and the farmer are entitled to get a second opinion and that should suffice. ICSA has been approached by several valuers who feel under pressure to value an animal at less than its real value because of the Department’s system for determining who stays on the panel.”

The launch of ICSA’s Animal Health & Welfare Committee will commence at 2.30pm and will take the form of a panel discussion followed by a Q & A. Guest speakers at the event will be: Damien Barrett, Senior Veterinary Inspector with the Department of Agriculture, Mike Magan of Animal Health Ireland and Donal Lynch of XL Vets.

Mr Kent concluded that he expected the Animal Health & Welfare Committee will be very busy over the coming months with on-going concerns surrounding TB, BVD and Johne’s disease.

The ICSA stand is located at ICSA, Block 2, Row 13, Stand 294.

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18 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA beef chairman Edmond Phelan has expressed dismay at a potential offer of a tariff rate quota for 85,000 tons of beef in the Mercosur (South America) negotiations. Mr Phelan was reacting to calls from French MEP Michel Dantin who has demanded that the Commission clarify if rumours about such an offer are true. “ICSA is extremely concerned at this. If such an offer is tabled it would have a very severe impact on European beef markets and would hit Irish beef exports particularly hard.”

“The offer is even more generous than the 78,000 that was on the table earlier this year but which had to be withdrawn. It is hard to comprehend that the EU Commission is already forgetting the Brazilian beef scandal of earlier this year and appears willing to make beef the sacrifice for other sectors.”

“The EU is showing scant regard for the pressure the Irish beef sector could encounter depending on the outcome of Brexit talks. We currently export some 270,000 tonnes of beef to the UK annually which could potentially be looking for a home in Europe. The speech last week by Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was a very troubling insight into the thought process of the EU which is tending towards more free trade at the expense of the European livestock sector.”

“ICSA is calling on Commissioner Hogan to oppose this offer. We must see a strong line against it from Taoiseach Varadkar and Ministers Creed and Fitzgerald. We also want to see Irish MEPs take a strong line on beef in the Mercosur talks. There is no silver lining for EU agriculture in a trade deal with South America, or any other food exporting region, and this must inform the position of all Irish representatives.”

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NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

ICSA, Block 2, Row 13, Stand 294

Dear all,

Please find ICSA schedule of events at our stand at the Ploughing Championships 2017. You are cordially invited to attend.

Women in Agriculture Panel Discussion and Q&A

TUESDAY 9.30am

Discussion: Farming in a New EU

Speakers:           Martina Calvey – Brand Development, Achill Mountain Lamb

Laura Johnston – President, Agricultural Consultants Association

Eimear McGuinness – Mart Manager, Donegal Marts

 Topics:                Brexit, bureaucracy, CAP, food chain fairness & alternative farming

WEDNESDAY 9.30AM

Discussion: Challenges of being a Modern Farmer

 Speakers:          Leoni Byrne – SEWFI Co-founder & Farmer

Geraldine Power – Suckler Farmer

Karen Elliffe – Queen of the Land & Farmer

Topics:                Off farm income, crime, farm debt, isolation & community involvement

 THURSDAY 9.30AM

Discussion: The Farm of the Future

Speakers:           Mona O’Donoghue Concannon – Dairy, Beef & Suckler Farmer

Ursula Kelly – Cormac Tagging

Paula Hynes – Zurich Farmer of the Year Team

Topics:                  New technologies, profits, markets, renewables

Afternoon Panel Discussions and Q&A

TUESDAY 2.30pm

Discussion: Animal Health & Welfare

Speakers:           Damien Barrett – SVI Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine

Mike Magan – Animal Health Ireland

Donal Lynch – XL Vets

Topics:                BVD, Johnes, TB & Live Exports

WEDNESDAY 2.30pm

Discussion: Tillage

Speakers:           Seamus Duggan – Tillage Farmer

David Shortall – Quinn’s of Baltinglass

Darragh Cleary – 2016 Tillage Farmer of the Year

Topics:                Inter farm trading, Cereal Quality Assurance and Sugar Beet

THURSDAY 2.30pm

Discussion: Organics

Speakers:           John Seery – IOFGA & Organic Farmer

Oliver Crowe – Agricultural Adviser & Organic Farmer

Vincent Cleary – MD Glenisk

Topics:                Organics Scheme, Markets & Knowledge Transfer

 ENDS

15 SEPTEMBER 2017

ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock today said that the recent ESRI statement that retirement age for the purposes of state pensions should be raised to seventy demonstrates the need for a comprehensive debate about developing a strategic plan for an ageing farming population.

“I believe that older farmers have made heroic contributions to their rural communities and to the national economy through good times and bad. This reality needs to be central to any policy decisions.”

We must frame the discussion around real challenges and base it on recognition of basic realities. We see these as including the following:

• That farmers have worked hard all their lives and continued to deliver for this country even during the darkest days of the financial crash when other sectors imploded.
• That farming is tough physically and that many years farming takes a toll on health.
• That older farmers have a higher risk of on-farm accidents especially when working with livestock.
• That the marketplace is increasingly greedy with the result that farmers are being asked to run faster just to stand still and that incomes from farming are continuously being eroded which is why so few young people want to take over.

“While there is no doubt that the age structure of Irish farming is very unbalanced, we have to question why this is so. A key reason is the simple fact that there is not enough income for most farms and unless this is resolved, young farmers will not put up with it. However, it is clear that delaying pension payments until seventy further reduces the potential total income available to a family.”

“Any debate about the aging profile of farmers cannot avoid a debate about how the Fair Deal Scheme has also impacted decision making. We need to recognise that the scheme is striking fear into farm families and threatening the future of the family farm where care is needed. We see Fair Deal as a raw deal. A more balanced approach to elder care is essential and ICSA is demanding that the Fair Deal Scheme be revised to remove the threat.”

“Further thought is also required around the implications of keeping more farmers working until they reach the age of seventy. Farming gets very hard for people as they become less mobile and the reality of this can be seen in farm accident fatality statistics which, year after year, feature a high proportion of victims aged in their sixties, seventies or eighties. Of course, we can’t force people to retire nor would we want to. However, what we need are options and an alternative source of income such as a pension is crucial to support farm transfer.”

“It is perhaps timely to begin a debate about how to help farmers step back from working too hard too long. The loss of the early retirement scheme has been a very retrograde step in terms of getting the next generation farming while supporting a good income for those who wish to step back. Taxation policy should be tweaked to be even more favourable to supporting pension provision but this must be targeted at low and middle income workers including farmers rather than helping the wealthiest to shelter income.”

“We would also question the morality of the state forcing people to work later because of worries about the financial time-bomb on pensions yet the state continues to pay six figure lump sums to the wealthiest of public sector workers on retirement, along with a generous lifelong pension after that. Moreover, we note that many public sector workers can retire early on full pensions and now we are talking about making the majority work up to seventy.”

Mr Sherlock added there is no comparison between the challenges of a farmer, fisherman or builder over a long working life maybe up to fifty years working in all weathers by comparison with an office worker.

“Is it fair to force our ageing population into a further four years of work, in tough outdoor conditions, when in fact we should be providing them with options? This in turn will assist where the desire is to transfer to a successor,” concluded Mr Sherlock.

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