Farmers: We can't be operating at a loss every day of the week
Farmers have taken to the streets of Dublin to call for action from the European Commission on farm incomes.
The Irish Farmers Association says farmers in the grain, dairy and pig sectors are facing a crisis due to political interference in markets and price volatility.
And we're off #FarmAction pic.twitter.com/e0aPK0J8A4
— Irish Farmers' Association (@IFAmedia) August 31, 2015
The IFA wants European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to implement new measures to make farm families viable.
Some farmers at the protest say they're now operating at below the cost of production.
@IFAmedia Protest demands EU act In on income crisis pic.twitter.com/3CfKLMSyAx
— Catherine Lascurettes - Cúl Dara Consultancy (@catherinemilk) August 31, 2015
One farmer said: "I suppose the Russian ban has a bit to do with it and the situation in China doesn't help either, but I think the EU would want to step in now and put a floor under it.
"The markets are still operating but at a lower price and they are standing back and waiting for it to fall further."
IFA President hands letter demanding action to head of EU Comission in Dublin Barbara Nolan pic.twitter.com/KItXNZflga
— Irish Farmers' Association (@IFAmedia) August 31, 2015
Another said: "We can't be operating at a loss every day of the week.
"I would put a lot of emphasis on the Minister for Agriculture, they have to take a political decision to stop taking European food into Russia, so there has to be a political decision to bring our feed prices right."
IFA chief Eddie Downey called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to take action to remove the technical obstacles which are holding back valuable beef exports to newly opened markets in the US and China.
“There must be real delivery on getting access to new markets,” the farmer’s chief said.
The IFA claimed beef prices will collapse in 2017, similar to what happened last year, if new markets are not accessed to deal with the increasing cattle numbers expected over the next two years.
The association also claimed that for the third year in a row Ireland’s 11,000 full and part-time tillage farmers are facing prices too low to cover production costs.
IFA grain chairman Liam Dunne said: “Growers are forced to produce crops to satisfy bureaucratic requirements rather than respond to market signals.
“The unwillingness on the part of the Commission to control speculative investment and fertiliser cartels has exacerbated income volatility leading to a boom and bust situation for many farmers.”
In the pig farming sector, the IFA said many of its members and colleagues across Europe are in a serious loss-making situation as some markets for pork products, including Russia where a trade ban was imposed by the EU, have yet to reopen.
