CLARE farmers could lose an estimated €12.6m a year in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments under current EU budget proposals, according to Clare IFA chair Stephen Walsh.
Mr Walsh said the next three months would be critical in the campaign to secure a CAP budget that would underpin the future viability of Irish agriculture.
As part of the IFA’s campaign, a dedicated online CAP hub has been launched outlining the potential implications of the current proposals.
“For Ireland, the proposed cut of €2.5bn or 24% would have massive ramifications for farmers and our capacity to produce high-quality food,” Mr Walsh said.
“It would also have a huge impact on the rural economy given that every € in CAP payments generates up to €2 in economic activity, mainly in rural Ireland.”
Mr Walsh said the cost pressures on farmers, global unrest, weather conditions and fertiliser policy at EU level had created a difficult situation for the sector.
“It sends the wrong signal to be taking support away from food production at a time when the European Union should be reinforcing food security,” he said.
He said the CAP hub would be used to inform politicians in the coming months, including ahead of an IFA regional meeting at Limerick Racecourse on Wednesday, September 2.
Mr Walsh said the hub shows Clare stands to lose €88.3m between 2028 and 2034, with 138 jobs at risk per year due to the proposed cuts.
He said the hub also allows individual farmers to enter their own figures to see what the proposed changes could mean for them.
Mr Walsh said restoring the CAP budget should be a priority for the Irish Government as it chairs discussions on the next EU budget.
“Holding the EU Presidency at this crucial time means our government has the opportunity to steer the debate and achieve an outcome that will provide farmers and the wider rural economy with the resilience needed to tackle the challenges ahead,” he said.
Mr Walsh said there is likely to be an EU Council meeting in October, which will be chaired by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and will include further negotiations on the shape of the next MFF budget, of which CAP is a part.
“Those deliberations will have a bearing on the future of farming from 2028 onwards,” he said.
He said the IFA would continue to campaign through political channels in Ireland and through its Brussels office to highlight the importance of a realistic level of support for agriculture.
