Farmers positive on full decoupling

By John Shirley

Irish farmers want rid of quotas and regulation - big time, a new Irish Farmers' Journal survey has revealed.

And, freed from the straitjacket of quota and stocking limits, the survey shows interest in expansion rather than contraction in beef. Fears of a mass exodus from suckling are not borne out in this survey of 300 farmers, carried out over the past weekend.

John Downes who farms in Cahruduff, Miltown, Malbay, watching haulier Tommy Vaughan, Milford unloading his stock at Ennis Mart.

One farmer in three is in favour of a 10% cut in entitlements to create a national envelope for suckler cows but over half of the survey are against this move.

Dairy farming too look set for accelerated rationalisation with the survey showing a significant number preparing to exit but more than half looking for growth and expansion.

Overall, as Farm Minister Joe Walsh's invitation for views on Commissioner Fischler's historic Mid Term Review options close next Monday, the survey shows a massive majority in favour of full decoupling across all enterprises.

There is a hunger among farmers for freedom to farm and Joe Walsh will have to take this groundswell on board when making the biggest decision of his long ministerial career.

Across the enterprises the majority in favour of decoupling premiums from production is over 90% among dairy farmers, 75% among calf to weanling/store producers and 77% among beef finishers.

Of the sheep farmers that have made up their minds the survey showed 90% support for decoupling and again more farmers interested in flock growth rather than contraction in an environment where sheep numbers will no longer impact on extensification payment.

Cereals farmers too favour full decoupling but this may be followed by some reduction in output.

The survey also covered a proportion of mixed enterprise farmers. Here too the trend was strongly in favour of full decoupling of all cattle schemes by a ration of 5 to 1.

Among the mixed enterprise farmers there were equal numbers contemplating growth and contraction with more cattle being the favoured option.

Eighty three per cent of the farmers surveyed described themselves as full time. Forty seven per cent had a non farming income in the household.

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