Following a lengthy CAP lesson from Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConologue and advice to “stop waving the burdizzo” from Minister of State Pippa Hackett, over 100 bored-looking farmers eventually let their frustrations out at the latest CAP consultation in Ballinkill Mart, Co Laois, on Tuesday.

As one man proclaimed he had to milk his cows, another suggested the minister shorten his answers. The following speaker, Paul Delaney, stated he felt shafted and was going to lose €10,000 in payments in the next CAP.

As the minister noted that convergence must be at least 85%, another farmer replied that the meeting “was a waste of time”.

But the worst was yet to come. Laois is a county set to be hit most by convergence and IFA south Leinster regional chair Francie Gorman told the audience, the majority of whom he assumed are over the national average payment per hectare, a basic payment of €25,000 will go to €16,000.

Front-loading

Henry Burns outlined how front-loading isn’t going to look after the farmers of Laois and where the CAP is taking away thousands of euro, it’s only giving back hundreds. He found it hard to take that his environmentally friendly mixed farm was not being supported. He warned that if the politicians of rural Ireland do not stand up for farming, it will not be forgotten.

This was echoed by others in the room, who focused their gaze on the host of politicians who arrived for a photo call. If the mart was cold, the politicians were freezing.

As the lights came on, McConologue agreed the decision to give higher TAMS grants to women was divisive in response to livestock farmer Noreen Cahill, stating that funding should not be given out based on a farmer having an X or a Y chromosome.

Some two and half hours after the meeting had started, the once 100-strong crowd was now down to 30 or 40 people and as farmers left they stated they did not come to be lectured at by the Green Party.

One line possibly summed up the event, when Francie Gorman stated: “The idea that we have to be told to spread lime. Do you think we’re idiots?”