Adding that these issues must be central to the next programme for government, Mr Phelan said, “As well as stressing the importance of greater transparency along the food chain, ICSA also underlined the need for enforcing labelling rules and weeding out unfair trading practices in the processing and retailing sectors. The focus must be on exposing excess profiteering and ensuring a level playing field, particularly for beef and sheep farmers.”
On the EU’s new Farm to Fork strategy, Mr Phelan said, “We cannot have a greener EU unless it is funded properly. Quality produce that is produced to the highest environmental standards cannot be delivered to European consumers without delivering a fair price to the primary producer. Nor can farmers be expected to compete with lower standard produce from outside the EU flooding the market. This is particularly true of vast quantities of South American beef entering the EU on the back of international trade deals such as Mercosur.”
“Farmers cannot shoulder the cost of climate change and the new Government will achieve nothing unless we have a fully funded CAP. It is clear that maintaining the family farm model is central to achieving our climate change targets. However, it is also clear that the family farm model is in financial dire straits and no more can be done, unless there is adequate funding for it.”
Concluding Mr Phelan said, “ICSA is committed to working with all parties as government formation discussions evolve.”
ENDS
