Nationwide protests next Wednesday

By Des Maguire and Paul Mooney

A national day of action on the AGENDA 2000 proposals is to be organised by the IFA next Wednesday, February 17.

The day of action will involve all 29 IFA county executives holding a nationwide series of farm machinery demonstrations through all county towns and cities outside the capital.

The demonstrations, which will include tractors, trailers and farm machinery will move through each county town starting at 12 noon.

IFA president Tom Parlon said that the object of the demonstration was to heighten public awareness of the threat to Irish agriculture and the entire rural economy in the AGENDA 2000 negotiations.

"The emphasis will be on the damage that the Commission's CAP reform proposals would do to the economy and employment in rural Ireland and how the knock on effect of the cuts would be felt in rural towns throughout the country."

Tom Parlon pointed out that the Government accepts the IFA estimate that the Santer proposals would cut farm incomes by £260 million and take £600 million out of the agricultural economy. "This would result in much reduced economic activity in rural areas and affect those directly and indirectly servicing the farming and agri-business sectors.

He said that if the CAP reform proposals were accepted in their current form, 50,000 farm families would be non-viable within five years and a further 25,000 within a decade.

"Through the nationwide demonstrations next Wednesday we will maintain the maximum pressure on Government to make the strongest possible case for Ireland in the crucial negotiations this month," he said.

A national lobbying forum for TD's and Senators was held in Dublin yesterday (Wednesday) where IFA leaders and officers briefed politicians on the impact of the reforms and their consequences for rural Ireland.

The IFA campaign will culminate in Brussels on February 22 when a 100 strong contingent of beef, sheep, dairy and grain farmers, will participate in a major European farmers' protest on the first day of the CAP reform negotiations.