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March 02, 2010
ICMSA lash Department's 'ridiculous' bias in quota allocation
Commenting on the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of yet further support for new entrants to dairying, Mr. Pat McCormack, Chairperson of ICMSA's Dairy Committee, said that he was very disappointed that the Minister had decided to continue with a policy of discrimination against existing small scale milk producers who are already struggling badly due to the deregulation of the dairy market so enthusiastically supported by the same Minister.
February 23rd, 2010
ICMSA comment on the meeting between Minister Smith and Commissioner Ciolos
Commenting on the meeting between Minister Smith and Commissioner Ciolos, the ICMSA President, Jackie Cahill, said that Minister Smith was perfectly right to emphasise the need for the careful release of stocks built up through the operation of intervention measures during last year's price collapse.
February 22nd, 2010
ICMSA say €580 per dairy farmer is "practically useless"
Commenting on the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 's announcement that a payment of €580 per dairy farmer will be made from the €11.5m Dairy Compensation Fund, Mr. Pat McCormack, Chairperson of ICMSA's Dairy Committee , described the payment as 'practically useless' and he pointed out that if farmers were to be truly compensated for the disaster that was 2009 – which was largely a result of incompetent national and EU policy – then a payment of €580 per dairy cow would be needed.
February 19th, 2010
ICMSA call for immediate introduction of new Farm Investment Schemes
Speaking after a meeting with Department of Agriculture officials in Portlaoise, the Deputy President and Chairman of the ICMSA's Farm Services and Environment Committee, Mr. John Comer, has called on Minister Smith to immediately implement all schemes identified on the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme programme.
February 11th, 2010
ICMSA say new beef price grid is "an abject failure"
The President of ICMSA, Jackie Cahill, has said that the new QPS beef grid has failed abjectly and been roundly rejected by farmers right across the country to an extent that means it must be withdrawn.
January 19th, 2010
€11m dairy fund must be paid immediately and on a flat-rate per farmer say ICMSA
The new Chairman of ICMSA's Dairy Committee, Pat McCormack, has called on Minister Smith to recognise the extremely precarious current position of dairy farmers and immediately begin the payment of €11m fund agreed in late 2009.
January 15th, 2010
ICMSA meet the Livestock Producers and Suppliers Association and agree on the new price grid
ICMSA representatives met officials of the Livestock Producer and Suppliers Association last Friday in Portlaoise and both sides agreed that the new price grid would inevitably lead to lower prices being paid to farmers
January 14th, 2010
Cahill calls on Teagasc to follow the logic of their own 'Outlook 2010' report
Commenting on the figures and analysis contained in the Teagasc 'Outlook 2010', the ICMSA President, Jackie Cahill, said that the catastrophic collapse of dairy farmer margins and the level of their personal debt was now set out for all to see.
January 12th, 2010
ICMSA say ‘buck stops with councils’ on reaction to weather
The Chairman of ICMSA’s Rural Development Committee, John O’Donnell, lambasted the inaction that he said had yet again marked the official response to problems that were easily capable of solution if a concerted effort was made.
January 6th, 2010
ICMSA say ‘growing level of disquiet’ on new beef price grid
The President of ICMSA, Jackie Cahill, has highlighted the growing level of disquiet being expressed by farmers at the operation and prices being paid through the new beef price grid.
