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DEAR SIR: Having been lucky enough to have taken over a good farm in south Mayo 27 years ago and farming it full time, I must say it has been good to me mentally, physically and financially.
Year-on-year, I have found that hard work and growing enough grass to produce quality stock has left a decent wage.
This is not forgetting grants and subsidies which allow me to sell my quality food at an affordable price for the consumer and enhancing the environment along the way. To obtain these subsidies over the years, we farmers have had to take on board a lot of rules and regulations, given out by Government bodies and others who are getting a good slice of the cake.
We’ve followed all the advice, putting numbers, tags and stars on our cattle and sheep, increasing production, etc, at a high cost to the farmer, only to be told by our leaders that there is no future for beef in Ireland. So be it.
But do these leaders expect their non-viable farmers to fund their high-paid jobs and see them through the next recession and beyond?
I think it’s time for farm organisations, farmers and people who are living off farming directly and indirectly to wake up, be counted and stand beside the farmer. This includes the population living in rural Ireland and deep into the cities.
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