As tillage farmers come to terms with a drop in incomes put at up to €100m, invitations have gone out for the first round-table meeting on the future of the sector. The meeting will be held in Dublin next Thursday and chaired by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed. Growers, compounders, input suppliers, the food and drinks industry and relevant State agencies will take part. In its letters to stakeholders, the Department stressed that invitations were aimed at the level of president /CEO or equivalent.
Minister Creed said that the meeting was being held to ensure that the industry can continue to grow and fulfil its potential. As well as challenges posed by bad weather and prices there will be significant changes ahead in the international trading environment, he said.
IFA president Joe Healy, who will attend next week, warned that the sector is at risk of terminal decline. He outlined key issues including:
Aid package for growers.Grain certification to maximise use of native grain and proteins in rations. Scrapping of EU taxes on imported fertiliser.A competition review of the high cost of sprays here. Access to low-cost working capital. Increased GLAS payments and opening of TAMS.Increased funding for protein crops.Simpler greening rules.Growers are now calculating their income losses arising from general lower yields, lower grain prices and now loss of entire crop due to rain.
Teagasc has warned that incomes will fall by €14,000, or over €75m in total. But the IFA warns that bad weather is driving this figure to €100m. It says that the 500,000t drop in general yields will cost €65m. The 5% of crops now at risk of loss will cost a further €13m. The price reduction on what has been harvested, plus the cuts in EU direct payment, will cost another €20m.
As tillage farmers come to terms with a drop in incomes put at up to €100m, invitations have gone out for the first round-table meeting on the future of the sector. The meeting will be held in Dublin next Thursday and chaired by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed. Growers, compounders, input suppliers, the food and drinks industry and relevant State agencies will take part. In its letters to stakeholders, the Department stressed that invitations were aimed at the level of president /CEO or equivalent.
Minister Creed said that the meeting was being held to ensure that the industry can continue to grow and fulfil its potential. As well as challenges posed by bad weather and prices there will be significant changes ahead in the international trading environment, he said.
IFA president Joe Healy, who will attend next week, warned that the sector is at risk of terminal decline. He outlined key issues including:
Aid package for growers.Grain certification to maximise use of native grain and proteins in rations. Scrapping of EU taxes on imported fertiliser.A competition review of the high cost of sprays here. Access to low-cost working capital. Increased GLAS payments and opening of TAMS.Increased funding for protein crops.Simpler greening rules.Growers are now calculating their income losses arising from general lower yields, lower grain prices and now loss of entire crop due to rain.
Teagasc has warned that incomes will fall by €14,000, or over €75m in total. But the IFA warns that bad weather is driving this figure to €100m. It says that the 500,000t drop in general yields will cost €65m. The 5% of crops now at risk of loss will cost a further €13m. The price reduction on what has been harvested, plus the cuts in EU direct payment, will cost another €20m.
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