“It is time for all levy collectors to declare their position on levies and ICSA is calling for a declaration that all non-statutory levies will be collected on an opt-in basis only,” he said.

“It is no longer tenable for monies to be deducted from farmers without their written consent. Between statutory and non-statutory levies tens of millions of euros are being deducted from farmers at a time when the farmer, the primary producer, is the only one making nothing out of the agri-food sector. In any event, it can only be a matter of time before a farmer seeks legal redress from a factory or mart for taking money from him without his consent. In such a scenario, it is not necessarily the ultimate beneficiary but the body which has made the deduction who will be called to account and potentially required to repay deductions over previous years.”

“ICSA is getting more and more complaints from farmers who are aggrieved at the difficulties in getting levies stopped. This applies to so-called voluntary ear tag levies as well as so-called EIF levies. It is time to stop this invidious practice.”