Mushroom composters

IFA grain committee chair Mark Browne said that the IFA has met representatives from the mushroom compost industry to discuss the serious challenges facing the Irish tillage and mushroom sectors. He said that both sectors are interdependent. The main purpose of the meeting was to ensure a sustainable supply of Irish straw to the mushroom sector, with structures needed to reduce the detrimental effects of straw price volatility, in the interests of both sectors.

Mercosur

With European Commission officials in Uruguay to reconvene the Mercosur trade talks, IFA president Joe Healy said the time has come for European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan to put his foot down and tell European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström that enough is enough. Healy said European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Phil Hogan must deliver on their commitment to put Ireland first in Brexit and ensure that there is no Mercosur deal while Brexit remains unsorted.

National hill forum

IFA president Joe Healy has said that the current environmental scheme available to farmers in hill areas is inadequate and needs to be improved in the upcoming CAP negotiations. Addressing farmers from around the country, Healy launched a 10-point plan which includes greater ambition on environmental schemes, with farmers getting up to €10,000 annually for management practices. Higher payments should apply where farmers are asked to protect designated SAC and SPA land.

Pig crisis continues

IFA president Joe Healy said that Irish pig farmers are now in dire straits as they are caught in a classic price-cost squeeze. “The drop in prices is forcing pig farmers out of business and the situation is being compounded by an increase in feed prices. Processors and retailers need to act now to support farmers and to try to stabilise the situation or we will continue to see farmers exiting the sector.”