Brian Rushe announced his intentions to run for the position of IFA deputy president at the Kildare county executive meeting on Monday evening.
Rushe secured the nomination from Kildare's county executive after being proposed by his home branch of Carbery Collinstown and was seconded by the Moone branch.
"It’s [agriculture] a good industry to be involved in, I’m banking my future on it and my children’s future on it and that’s why I’m running," Rushe told the Irish Farmers Journal. "I haven’t’ taken this decision lightly, I’ve done it with the support of my family. I have been talking to people around the country and I feel the support is there for me."
Having secured the Kildare nomination, Rushe must now secure nominations from five more counties in order to officially become a candidate. He is focusing his campaign on farm incomes and the three areas outlined below:
1. Transparency"If you look at the beef sector in terms of the supply chain, everything the beef farmer does is transparent. There’s no transparency at processor level. Look at the lengths they go to to hide their profits. There has to be a competition authority with teeth that can assure transparency throughout the supply chain, strengthening farmers' positions."
2. Climate
"Farmers are very much aware of their obligations, they are stepping up to the plate, adopting new technologies and are going to deliver. They are going to deliver for the rest of society. It is only fair that farmers get properly compensated for their efforts. If not, we are just looking at further erosion of farm incomes. This year Dublin airport had its busiest June on record, everyone is lauding it as great for the economy but there are no questions around its impact on the environment."
3. Common Agricultural Policy
"There is more conditionality, but the money is getting less and less. There is a serious case there that if Europe is asking us to do more there should be more money. You cannot ask farmers in a financially vulnerable position to keep doing more."
Competition
Currently, there are three candidates in the running for IFA deputy president, with Connacht chair Padraic Joyce and Cavan’s Thomas Cooney joining Rushe.
Meanwhile, Tipperary’s Tim Cullinan, the current IFA treasurer, Wicklow’s Angus Woods, the sitting livestock chair, and current Munster regional chair John Coughlan are all believed to be in the running to replace Joe Healy as the association's president.
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Brian Rushe announced his intentions to run for the position of IFA deputy president at the Kildare county executive meeting on Monday evening.
Rushe secured the nomination from Kildare's county executive after being proposed by his home branch of Carbery Collinstown and was seconded by the Moone branch.
"It’s [agriculture] a good industry to be involved in, I’m banking my future on it and my children’s future on it and that’s why I’m running," Rushe told the Irish Farmers Journal. "I haven’t’ taken this decision lightly, I’ve done it with the support of my family. I have been talking to people around the country and I feel the support is there for me."
Having secured the Kildare nomination, Rushe must now secure nominations from five more counties in order to officially become a candidate. He is focusing his campaign on farm incomes and the three areas outlined below:
1. Transparency"If you look at the beef sector in terms of the supply chain, everything the beef farmer does is transparent. There’s no transparency at processor level. Look at the lengths they go to to hide their profits. There has to be a competition authority with teeth that can assure transparency throughout the supply chain, strengthening farmers' positions."
2. Climate
"Farmers are very much aware of their obligations, they are stepping up to the plate, adopting new technologies and are going to deliver. They are going to deliver for the rest of society. It is only fair that farmers get properly compensated for their efforts. If not, we are just looking at further erosion of farm incomes. This year Dublin airport had its busiest June on record, everyone is lauding it as great for the economy but there are no questions around its impact on the environment."
3. Common Agricultural Policy
"There is more conditionality, but the money is getting less and less. There is a serious case there that if Europe is asking us to do more there should be more money. You cannot ask farmers in a financially vulnerable position to keep doing more."
Competition
Currently, there are three candidates in the running for IFA deputy president, with Connacht chair Padraic Joyce and Cavan’s Thomas Cooney joining Rushe.
Meanwhile, Tipperary’s Tim Cullinan, the current IFA treasurer, Wicklow’s Angus Woods, the sitting livestock chair, and current Munster regional chair John Coughlan are all believed to be in the running to replace Joe Healy as the association's president.
Read more
IFA election: Cooney to step aside if Brady declares
Two elections, one meeting
Joyce declares for IFA deputy president
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