Having held a series of discussions with hundreds of farmers throughout Ireland over the past couple of months, Macra na Feirme has published its report on what Irish farmers want from CAP 2020 and also the issues they are most concerned about in the coming years.

In its report, Macra says there is a need to address the health, safety and wellbeing of farmers through training, education and innovation.

“Across Europe, there is a need to ensure adequate awareness of the health and safety risks of farmers,” it says. “Macra na Feirme supports the CEJA proposal that farmers would receive a free, yearly health and wellbeing checkup and would have to participate in a free mandatory health and safety course to be classified as an active farmer.”

Seventy-four per cent of the young farmers who contributed to the report said that a farmer should undertake a mandatory farm safety education course to qualify as an active farmer.

The report said Macra is also very much in favour of the CEJA proposal for active farmers to gain access to farm relief for a variety of unworkable circumstances, such as sickness, injury and bereavement, as well as relief to cover maternity and paternity.

Fatality rate in agriculture

The fatality rate in agriculture is far higher than any other economic sector, even though a small proportion of the workforce is employed in farming. Moreover, the level of farm accidents is not decreasing. Similar types of accidents occur each year, with accidents caused by tractors and other farm machinery accounting for the most deaths. The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland says that research indicates that, in general, farmers’ attitudes to safety only change after serious injury occurs.

So far in 2017, four people have died from accidents on the farm, with three of these fatal accidents occurring in the one week. In 2016, 21 people died. In 2014, 30 people died on farms in Ireland, the highest number of farm deaths in more than 20 years.

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