The farming community is losing faith in the European Commission following recent announcements of cuts to CAP and approval of the Mercosur trade deal, Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Martin Kenny has said.

Farmers, he argued, are losing trust in the European Commission and this is bad for the European Union overall.

Kenny attended the 'Vision for Food and Agriculture – Implications at National and EU level' conference in Brussels this week, where he raised issues in relation to the future of CAP and the Mercosur trade deal.

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"I told Commissioner Christophe Hansen that farming is the biggest industry in Ireland.

“We have a long growing season that suits all aspects of Irish agriculture from tillage to livestock and produces food to the highest quality in the world.

“Irish farmers depend on the CAP to supplement their income the same as their colleagues in the EU. The recent announcement that the CAP budget will be cut by 22% is a big blow to agriculture across the EU," he said.

The continued erosion of the CAP budget over the decades is threatening food security across the EU and the sustainability of agriculture as young people will not see farming as a viable career choice, he added.

Mercosur

“Irish farmers are furious about the Mercosur trade deal, which will see South American beef and poultry competing for shelf space in the EU.

“Irish farmers and EU consumers have real concerns with traceability and environmental standards which are way below what Irish and EU farmers must comply with.

“These two issues are eroding confidence in the Agricultural sector and eroding confidence in the EU itself and must be addressed urgently.”