The Macra agricultural affairs committee and its sub-committees consist of young farmers from across the country who voluntarily met more than 20 times over the past 12 months. The committee provides a forum for young farmers to formulate policies and produce lobby material. These policies are informed by the committee itself but also the wider Macra na Feirme membership through meetings held across the country each year.
Policy development and member representation has been to the core of the committee’s work and ethos, which was evident in 2019.
Continued communication with members is crucial to ensure that members’ realities are reflected in the policies that the ag affairs committee formulates. This is an ongoing work in progress and the committee recognises that improvements are essential into the future.
Recent examples of the committee’s commitment to policy development include the beef policy that was launched in April and the employment policy.
The beef policy was informed through consultation with Macra na Feirme members over the past 18 months and every member was given the opportunity to contribute. It has been a huge year of uncertainty for young farmers, particularly in the beef sector. Falling incomes and increased environmental and regulatory pressures have seen the viability of the sector called into question.
Young farmers need a viable business if they are to enter into a sector, whether that be beef or any other sector. Throughout 2019, the agricultural affairs committee made numerous representations on behalf of young beef farmers, including involvement in the beef talks at the end of the summer.
The committee will continue to engage with the Beef Market Taskforce and make representations on behalf of Ireland’s young beef farmers.
This spring also saw the beginning of “Make The Moove” in north Tipperary, an initiative promoting positive mental health and wellbeing among farmers and rural people.
The initiative saw over 350 farmers from across north Tipperary engage in consultation around the issues that cause them stress and allowed those same farmers to identify the solutions that they felt would help tackle the causes of stress.
The goal of the programme is to establish a national farmer- and rural-specific support network, which would provide this group of people with tailored supports for their needs.
Support
Government support will be necessary for this to happen. Several other countries such as Northern Ireland and New Zealand already have such support and the committee hopes that the Irish Government will be equally as proactive in facilitating rural people and farmers helping themselves.
2019 also saw eight CAP meetings which were held around the country to get the views of young farmers on the issues relating to them in the next CAP. Issues such as generational renewal, the overall CAP budget and environmental pressures were all brought to the fore.
The committee is continuing its work in relation to policy formulation for the next CAP and representation has and will continue to be made, both at Government level and EU level.
In January, members of the committee along with ordinary members also met with members of ICOS, actively engaging in training and developing pathways for young farmers into co-operatives.
Members of the committee also met officials from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance and Revenue around the Finance Bill regarding the taxation issues affecting young farmers introduced in Budget 2018.
Over the year, the committee engaged in numerous focus groups which will provide direction and a basis for various projects. Some of these include a focus group on developing a continuous professional development framework for farmers from which a report was published in April.
The committee also put together a proposal on the future of Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
A group also discussed the design of an app, which would allow geo-tagging for cross-compliance. The discussion focused on a farmer-friendly interface with a need for reduced red tape. This engagement will continue into 2020 as the process evolves.
During the summer months, the committee designed and hosted young farmer development hubs in six locations across the country. These were tailored hubs designed to give young farmers the tools to develop their own county’s activities in relation to young farmers but also share their thoughts on the ag industry with the committee.
The attendance across the country was immense and the feedback positive. It is crucial that the committee engages in such a fashion with members and continues to allow all members the opportunity to have their voices heard.
Members of the committee met with Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton in the summer on environmental issues relating to farming, and the need for a fair distribution of change across all sectors of the economy.
The Government regularly opens public consultations on various issues. This offers members of the public the opportunity to have their say on issues and policy that will directly affect them.
The ag affairs committee is acutely aware of the importance of engaging with these consultations to ensure that the view of young farmers is included in relevant policy.
Submissions
In 2019, the committee debated and formulated numerous different submissions that were relevant to young farmers. The committee:
Prepared and presented a submission on beef to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture. Prepared and presented a submission on the environment and farming to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture.Prepared a submission on Ireland’s nitrates derogation.Prepared Macra na Feirme’s annual pre-budget submission and met Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed on same.Prepared a submission on the control of dogs.Prepared a submission on unfair trading practices in the ag food supply chain.Prepared a submission on an agri climate roadmap. Prepared a submission on Ag Food 2030.Prepared a submission on SWOT analysis of proposed CAP post 2020.Ensuring that Macra na Feirme’s members are at the core of what the committee does is the central ethos of the agricultural affairs committee. Huge credit must be given to the 20 voluntary members of the committee who contribute large amounts of time and work to progressing the concerns of young farmers.
2019 was a challenging year for young farmers across all sectors of Irish farming. The committee has worked very hard to ensure that young farmers’ voices are heard on issues relating to them. The committee has a diverse background of farming enterprises and understands the issues that affect young farmers.
The aim for 2020 is to continue to develop the committee and to engage even more with the young farmers across all sectors, and all regions.
The Macra agricultural affairs committee and its sub-committees consist of young farmers from across the country who voluntarily met more than 20 times over the past 12 months. The committee provides a forum for young farmers to formulate policies and produce lobby material. These policies are informed by the committee itself but also the wider Macra na Feirme membership through meetings held across the country each year.
Policy development and member representation has been to the core of the committee’s work and ethos, which was evident in 2019.
Continued communication with members is crucial to ensure that members’ realities are reflected in the policies that the ag affairs committee formulates. This is an ongoing work in progress and the committee recognises that improvements are essential into the future.
Recent examples of the committee’s commitment to policy development include the beef policy that was launched in April and the employment policy.
The beef policy was informed through consultation with Macra na Feirme members over the past 18 months and every member was given the opportunity to contribute. It has been a huge year of uncertainty for young farmers, particularly in the beef sector. Falling incomes and increased environmental and regulatory pressures have seen the viability of the sector called into question.
Young farmers need a viable business if they are to enter into a sector, whether that be beef or any other sector. Throughout 2019, the agricultural affairs committee made numerous representations on behalf of young beef farmers, including involvement in the beef talks at the end of the summer.
The committee will continue to engage with the Beef Market Taskforce and make representations on behalf of Ireland’s young beef farmers.
This spring also saw the beginning of “Make The Moove” in north Tipperary, an initiative promoting positive mental health and wellbeing among farmers and rural people.
The initiative saw over 350 farmers from across north Tipperary engage in consultation around the issues that cause them stress and allowed those same farmers to identify the solutions that they felt would help tackle the causes of stress.
The goal of the programme is to establish a national farmer- and rural-specific support network, which would provide this group of people with tailored supports for their needs.
Support
Government support will be necessary for this to happen. Several other countries such as Northern Ireland and New Zealand already have such support and the committee hopes that the Irish Government will be equally as proactive in facilitating rural people and farmers helping themselves.
2019 also saw eight CAP meetings which were held around the country to get the views of young farmers on the issues relating to them in the next CAP. Issues such as generational renewal, the overall CAP budget and environmental pressures were all brought to the fore.
The committee is continuing its work in relation to policy formulation for the next CAP and representation has and will continue to be made, both at Government level and EU level.
In January, members of the committee along with ordinary members also met with members of ICOS, actively engaging in training and developing pathways for young farmers into co-operatives.
Members of the committee also met officials from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance and Revenue around the Finance Bill regarding the taxation issues affecting young farmers introduced in Budget 2018.
Over the year, the committee engaged in numerous focus groups which will provide direction and a basis for various projects. Some of these include a focus group on developing a continuous professional development framework for farmers from which a report was published in April.
The committee also put together a proposal on the future of Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
A group also discussed the design of an app, which would allow geo-tagging for cross-compliance. The discussion focused on a farmer-friendly interface with a need for reduced red tape. This engagement will continue into 2020 as the process evolves.
During the summer months, the committee designed and hosted young farmer development hubs in six locations across the country. These were tailored hubs designed to give young farmers the tools to develop their own county’s activities in relation to young farmers but also share their thoughts on the ag industry with the committee.
The attendance across the country was immense and the feedback positive. It is crucial that the committee engages in such a fashion with members and continues to allow all members the opportunity to have their voices heard.
Members of the committee met with Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton in the summer on environmental issues relating to farming, and the need for a fair distribution of change across all sectors of the economy.
The Government regularly opens public consultations on various issues. This offers members of the public the opportunity to have their say on issues and policy that will directly affect them.
The ag affairs committee is acutely aware of the importance of engaging with these consultations to ensure that the view of young farmers is included in relevant policy.
Submissions
In 2019, the committee debated and formulated numerous different submissions that were relevant to young farmers. The committee:
Prepared and presented a submission on beef to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture. Prepared and presented a submission on the environment and farming to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture.Prepared a submission on Ireland’s nitrates derogation.Prepared Macra na Feirme’s annual pre-budget submission and met Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed on same.Prepared a submission on the control of dogs.Prepared a submission on unfair trading practices in the ag food supply chain.Prepared a submission on an agri climate roadmap. Prepared a submission on Ag Food 2030.Prepared a submission on SWOT analysis of proposed CAP post 2020.Ensuring that Macra na Feirme’s members are at the core of what the committee does is the central ethos of the agricultural affairs committee. Huge credit must be given to the 20 voluntary members of the committee who contribute large amounts of time and work to progressing the concerns of young farmers.
2019 was a challenging year for young farmers across all sectors of Irish farming. The committee has worked very hard to ensure that young farmers’ voices are heard on issues relating to them. The committee has a diverse background of farming enterprises and understands the issues that affect young farmers.
The aim for 2020 is to continue to develop the committee and to engage even more with the young farmers across all sectors, and all regions.
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