IFA president Joe Healy said the strong support from the European Parliament’s committee on agriculture and rural development for the campaign on the next CAP budget shows momentum is building on what is a core issue for Irish farmers.

Healy noted the backing from the committee this week, as it calls ‘‘for the CAP budget to be maintained in real terms’’.

He said: “It is very welcome the agriculture and rural development committee of the Parliament has issued such a strong statement backing the CAP, including an acknowledgment that inflation needs to be reflected in any new budget,” he said.

The IFA analysis shows that the latest European Commission proposal on CAP will reduce the value of farm payments by over 16% due to the cuts and the impact of inflation.

Financial disadvantage

‘‘The interim report reaffirms the view that agriculture must not suffer any financial disadvantage as a result of political decisions such as the withdrawal of the UK from the EU,” he said.

Alliances

The IFA president added that the work of Irish MEPs is very important in building alliances with colleagues across the EU for a strong CAP.

Healy said the support from the German government is also significant and sends a clear signal to the European Commission that its initial proposals do not have political backing across member states.