14 March 2016

ICSA president Patrick Kent has welcomed the fact that today’s Farm Council meeting in Brussels has not raided the Crisis Reserve Fund to benefit dairy farmers at the expense of beef or sheep farmers.

“ICSA opposed any raiding of money generated by cattle and sheep farmers for the benefit of dairy farmers.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a solution to the difficulties faced by any farming sector.  Overall, the conclusions of the meeting are a weak response to the crisis faced by all sectors.”

“We need a firm resolve to tackle greedy retailers and processors who continue to make money off the back of farmers even when farmers are being told markets are weak.   That’s why ICSA wants to see an EU regulator to examine who is making what margins in the food chain.  This is all the more vital when producer prices are collapsing yet evidence suggests that processors and retailers continue to prosper.” 

“It is also disappointing to note that there is insufficient progress on tackling the high cost of fertilisers and it is now high time to look at abolishing import tariffs on fertilisers.”

“We also need greater recognition of the impact that the Russian ban on pigmeat is having not just on the pig sector but in terms of knock on impact on beef price in EU markets due to excess pigmeat supplies here,” he concluded. 

ENDS