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European Agricultural Commissioner, Phil Hogan, has moved to reassure farmers that the EU stands ready to intervene in market to protect prices in the event of a hard Brexit.
Addressing a crowd of over 250 farmers at the Kilkenny IFA annual dinner dance on Saturday night, Commissioner Hogan said: “We have to prepare for the worst. The European Union stands ready to help Irish and EU farmers in the event of a hard Brexit.”
“We have the tools ready to intervene, including Aid to Private Storage, intervention and a revision of state aid rules,” he added.
Safety net
His words will help give farmers comfort that, while Minister Creed has been slow to commit to supports, plans for a safety net at EU level are well advanced.
Hogan reassured farmers that the EU are ready for all scenarios, but warned that the government must also be ready and ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to ensure products can continue to move through ports.
Live exports
Meanwhile the commissioner told the Irish Farmers Journal that he has had discussions with Turkish authorities around live exports and was flying to Egypt on Sunday to explore the potential for live exports there.
CAP budget
While dismissing any suggestion that the CAP budget would be index-linked, the commissioner did indicate to farmers in Kilkenny that he was committed to a fully funded budget.
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