National Reserve

The IFA is very clear on the need for a National Reserve for young farmers in 2017, deputy president Richard Kennedy has said. Following a meeting of the CAP advisory committee at the Department of Agriculture last week, he said the National Reserve can be funded from unused payments allocated under the Young Farmers Scheme, without the necessity to take any additional funds from existing entitlements.

TB trial

IFA animal health chair Bert Stewart has said the results of a TB vaccination trial must be considered in context. He said that the IFA fought hard to have the current wildlife control programme established and any changes to this policy can only be based on solid evidence of an alternative approach providing higher levels of protection for our cattle from TB.

Greenways submission

The Department of Transport needs to rethink its approach to the proposed Dublin-to-Galway Greenway and put farmers’ concerns at the centre of any future development. That is environment chair Thomas Cooney’s message in a submission which identifies key measures that must be delivered to ensure the rights of landowners affected. He said all efforts must be made to engage with, listen to and address the concerns of farm families.

Pig prices

IFA pigs chair Tom Hogan has called on processors to reflect improvements in trade with increased producer prices, saying a number of factors provide justification for a price increase, including a strong export trade, tightening supplies and a steady demand for Irish product on the domestic market. He said it is crucial that any gains achieved from increased exports to markets are fairly reflected in producer prices.