Irish farmers cannot be expected to save the planet and bankrupt themselves, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) has said.

The cimate bill continues to work its way through the Oireachtas but ICSA president Dermot Kelleher said it would be futile if there was not active engagement with the farming community.

Speaking at a meeting with An Taoiseach Michéal Martin and other senior ministers, Kelleher said farmers were willing to do more but needed support to do so.

“We need more funding, in addition to CAP funding, to help improve biodiversity, decrease emissions, and improve carbon sinks. Farmers will plant more hedges, and keep more habitats, but it cannot happen if the farm is not viable,” he said.

Blame

Kelleher also condemned the “relentless shaming and blaming” of Irish farmers.

“It is high time for Irish farming to be treated fairly in the climate debate,” he said.

“Germany will not sacrifice its car industry or close down its coal industry and we should – likewise – stand up for our most important indigenous sector.

“It’s all very well having five-year targets as proposed in the climate bill. There is no point in pretending to care about climate change if we implement a policy of carbon leakage. It makes no sense to outsource our livestock farming systems to Brazil or Australia.”

Support

The ICSA president said cattle, sheep, and tillage farmers needed more support under the CAP to help deliver national and EU objectives.

“ICSA is very concerned that the impact of convergence cuts will be felt most severely by cattle and sheep farmers. These are the sectors that are most dependent on CAP payments,” he said.

“Twenty years ago, CAP payments were very much targeted at suckler, beef, sheep, and tillage farmers but over the years these sectors have seen their payments cut over and over again. This must be faced up to now in the current CAP reform.”