The Chairman of the ICMSA Farm Services and Environment Committee, Patrick Rohan, has called on Minister Coveney to immediately announce his position on the provision of a new AEOS scheme to ensure that the 23,000 farmers whose REPS 3 contracts have expired are provided with a suitable environmental scheme. Mr Rohan pointed out that many of these farmers have been in REPS since its inception in 1994 and are committed to environmental farming practices. ICMSA believes that it is crucial adequate funding is provided for a new AEOS scheme and that all farmers are given an opportunity to avail of this scheme.

 Mr. Rohan stated that there is only 12 weeks left to the May Single Farm Payment deadline which has also been the deadline for AEOS applications, and that farmers must be given adequate time to assess the scheme’s suitability for their enterprise. He said that farmers contemplating application must have an opportunity to work with planners – if necessary – because there have been considerable problems due to rushed AEOS applications that have resulted in significant delays to payments.

 “Both farmers and the environment will benefit greatly from the introduction of a properly funded AEOS scheme and it’s nearly as important that the Minister dispel the uncertainty and confusion around his intentions. It is incumbent upon the Minister to state his intentions regarding the AEOS scheme that all parties concerned are convinced is both desirable and necessary”, concluded Mr Rohan.

 Ends                     16 Feb. 2012.

 Pat Rohan, 087-6253506

Chairperson of ICMSA Farm Services Committee

 or

 Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office

 Following the announcement of the Beef Technology Adoption Programme, Mr. Michael Guinan, Chairperson of ICMSA’s Beef & Cattle Committee, said that all farmers involved in beef production should consider the merits of the scheme for their farm and he strongly urged interested and suitably qualified farmers to apply for the scheme before the closing date of 7 March 2012.

 “The discussion group format has worked well for dairy farming as a means of improving the information flow between farmers and it has aided the adoption of modern and more efficient farming practices.  While beef prices are at a high level at present, we all know that we can do things better and need to keep up-to-date with modern techniques and ‘best practice’. That’s the role we see for the beef scheme and it should provide an opportunity for beef farmers to improve their margins from beef production”, said Mr Guinan, before going on to express disappointment at what he saw as a counterproductive exclusion of some dairy farmers.  

 “The one area of concern is the exclusion of dairy farmers from the scheme if they are participants in the Dairy Efficiency Programme. There are over 8,000 dairy farmers in the Bord Bia Beef Quality Assurance Scheme and with the likely growth in beef from the dairy herd going forward and following the abolition of milk quotas, it is very disappointing to see these dairy farmers have been excluded from the scheme. Many dairy farmers remain very committed to beef production and policy makers must realise this and develop policies to support them. This is an illogical and counterproductive exclusion”, concluded Mr.Guinan.

 Ends                     16 February 2012.

 Michael Guinan, 086-8766851

Chairman, ICMSA Beef & Cattle Committee

 or

 Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office.

 He also noted the massive discrepancy between the 27,414 farms given as containing dairy cows with the number of quota holders of approximately 18,000 and asked for a much closer co-ordination and exchange of updated statistical information between the Department and bodies like the CSO that ‘fed into’ policy from different directions. “We need to know that policy is being formed and updated on the basis of accurate, up-to-the-minute, information that is collected and ‘pooled’ by all the agencies concerned. These kinds of discrepancies and differing count methods should be eliminated so that we have assurance that we’re all ‘on the same page’ – so to speak”, observed the ICMSA President.  

 Ends.     Feb 15      2012.

 John Comer, 087-2057846

President, ICMSA.

or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office

ICMSA welcome slight improvement in Super Levy position but urges farmers to remain ‘extremely vigilant’ on individual position

Commenting on the announcement by the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine that the official milk quota position at the end of January 2012 was 0.3% under quota, Mr. Pat McCormack, Deputy President and Chairperson of ICMSA’s Dairy Committee, said that while this represents a further improvement from the end of December, the threat of a super levy remains very likely.   Mr McCormack noted that in January 2011Irelandwas 1.41% under quota and effectively ended on quota for the year, he observed that a similar supply pattern for February and March this year will lead to a superlevy fine for farmers. It should also be borne in mind that 0.3% under quota is less than 1,000 litres per supplier so the margin at present in very tight.

“It is critically important that each individual supplier examines his/her own position and consults with their Co-op on an ongoing basis regarding the Co-op’s position.  In the context of a super levy fine of 28.65 cents per litre, incurring such a penalty could have a disastrous impact on a farmer so they must take every measure possible to limit their exposure. Milk suppliers must be extremely vigilant” , said Mr McCormack.

Finally, Mr. McCormack said, that the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine should endeavour to release the super levy figures earlier in March given the importance of up-to-minute accurate information for farmers.

Ends       16 Feb. 2012.

Pat McCormack, 087-7608958

Deputy President of ICMSA and Chairman of the Dairy Committee

or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press office.

 The Chairman of the ICMSA’s Farm Services and Environment Committee, Pat Rohan, has welcomed Minster Hogan’s announcement that the septic tank registration fee has been reduced from €50 to €5 for a limited period. But he repeated ICMSA’s opinion that there is no need for any registration charge whatsoever and he called on Minister Hogan to at least hold firm on his commitment that there will be no re-registration fee. The ICMSA chairman stated that these amendments certainly did not solve all the problems associated with this legislation.

 Mr. Rohan called on the Minister to immediately publish the standards which will apply to septic tanks and alleviate the worries of those many rural dwellers who are unsure of the levels of remedial work will be required. He pointed out that issues such as the treatment of ‘grey water’, number of inspections etc., are also questions that need to be answered in much greater detail than has been the case thus far. Mr Rohan said there was no group in the country as convinced of the importance of a clean environment as family farms and he said that ICMSA is acutely aware of the importance of properly functioning septic tanks to ensure protection of the environment and, most particularly, ground water.

 The Farm Services Chairman noted that one of the key aspects of this issue is likely to be the provision of a retro-fit scheme for rural dwellers to assist households that may have to incur significant costs in upgrading their system. Mr. Rohan concluded by stating that ICMSA will be actively engaging with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government once the draft standards are published for public consultation and also working to secure funding for an adequate retro-fit scheme.

 Ends.                   8 February 2012.

Pat Rohan, 087-6253506

Chairman, ICMSA Farm Services Committee

or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office

 With the 31 January marking the completion of the first tranche of applicants for the Dairy Equipment Scheme, Pat McCormack, Deputy President and Chairperson of ICMSA’s Dairy Committee, said that the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine should seriously consider frontloading the available funding so that all farmers who wish to carry out an investment can do so as soon as possible and also generate business of worth over €50m to the wider rural economy.

 Mr McCormack said that ICMSA understood that in excess of 800 dairy farmers had applied for grant aid in the first tranche and that figure indicated a strong appetite for investment amongst dairy farmers at present which the tranche system should not be allowed to unnecessarily delay or hold up.  

 The Deputy President noted that in a situation where only €4.425m was available in the first tranche, it is highly likely that selection criteria will be applied meaning that some farmers will be moved to the second tranche and possibly further down the line, thus delaying – or even prevent entirely – the carrying out of the dairy investment.  Given that the Minister has a sum of €35.4m available between 2012 and 2013 and while accepting that the EU Commission insist on a tranche system, ICMSA is proposing that the Minister should frontload the available funding to the first and second tranches in particular, so that all farmers who wish to carry out an investment will be approved and be able to carry out the investment in 2012.

 Mr. McCormack noted that this grant aid not only benefits the dairy farmers in question but also the wider rural economy and most particularly the suppliers of milk refrigeration and milking machines – many of whom are based in rural areas. In addition, the long term benefits of improved dairy facilities will benefit the development of the Irish dairy sector and the exports derived from that. 

“Farmers evidently want to invest in their dairy facilities and we’re calling on the Minister to facilitate them by frontloading the available funding in a manner that will enable the work to begin”, concluded Mr McCormack.

Ends.       3 February 2012.

Pat McCormack, 087-7608958

Deputy President, ICMSA, and Chairman of the Dairy Committee

or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office  

“The Commission has come and gone but serious questions remain undecided. The next phase must see Ireland come forward with hard and tested proposals in the three most critical areas, namely: the distribution of the SFP and ‘flattening’, the Base Year, and, thirdly, convincing the Commission that modern grassland management, as practised in Ireland, is fully compliant and compatible with the Commission’s ‘Greening’ objective. On the question of the SFP and ‘flattening’, there is most definitely merit in applying the EU formula already used for distribution amongst Member States to the formula for distribution amongst farmers inIreland. This could mean that where a farmer is currently receiving €120 per hectare and has a ‘gap’ of €150 relative to the average Irish recipient of €270, one third of that gap would be closed, meaning that he would receive an additional €50 per hectare on top of his existing €150 per hectare. We see a lot of logic in proceeding along those lines, or some variant of it, and we envisage that this increase would be inclusive of any ‘Greening’ entitlement”, said the ICMSA President, John Comer.

“On the question of addressing a rental bubble and supporting active farmer while fixing a Base Year, the Commissioner has stated that he has already introduced modifications on the Base Year specifically in response to Irish concerns. He may well have done but they are not adequate and we clearly we require a Base Year of 2011. Once that is established we see many means of ensuring protection for those farmers renting land at the moment and we have done considerable work on this from the legal angle. Ultimately, the question is whether the Minister and the Commissioner have the political determination to come down firmly on the side of those active farmers who rent the land, as opposed to non-active landowners. Once that decision is made – and it still remains to be made – then the rule changes can be obtained inBrusselsand ICMSA has got direct assurances on that matter. On the question of ‘Greening’, it is vital that normal re-seeding of grassland is not curtailed by rules under this heading. ICMSA has already requested Teagasc to come forward with the supporting science and we’ve been very encouraged by their positive response”, said Mr Comer. 

Ends.       20 January 2012.

John Comer, 087-2057846

President of ICMSA

or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office

New ICMSA President sets out his ‘to-do’ list for 2012

The new President of ICMSA, John Comer, has outlined his association’s priorities for the coming year and has pledged to ‘give everything’ he has in the cause of advancing the interests and welfare of farming families. Mr Comer, who is the first president of the specialist dairy farmers’ organisation from the West of Ireland (Castlebar) has written to members of the ICMSA National Council setting out the areas where efforts and lobbying must be concentrated and where resources will be spent on protecting the interests of farm families as identified by ICMSA’s policy experts. He has divided the work plan into two based on whether the issues come under a ‘European’ or ‘National’  heading and he has urged the association to concentrate immediately as the he feels the challenges will present themselves ‘thick and fast’.

Under the ‘European’ heading and as the state’s chief dairy farmer organisation, Mr Comer anticipates that the EU legislation to replace the milk quota system – which has already reached an advanced state of negotiation – will be finalised this year. Its importance toIrelandcannot be overstated and ICMSA will be looking to see two fundamental requirements: firstly, there must be adequate market supports and market crisis management systems both of which must be designed to prevent any kind of the catastrophic dairy price collapse that occurred as recently as 2009. Secondly, and presuming that the Commission andMemberStatesrealise the necessity for the first requirement, there must be sufficient funds allocated for this purpose. According to Mr Comer, the case is relatively straightforward: we must have market support measures and a market support plan but we must also have the funds necessary to make those measures meaningful.

On CAP reform and Single Farm Payment, Mr Comer wants an immediate concentration on a solution to the problems arising from ‘base year’ and the land leasing question that follows that. He acknowledges that Minister Coveney appreciates the problem and he feels that progress is being made. He has also stated bluntly that ICMSA wants both EU and Irish rules and regulations to favour ‘active’ farmers and he says that those individuals who break land leases should not gain SFP as a result. ICMSA has already sought legal opinion on this matter and will be investigating the legal situation in this area. He also singled out the so-called ‘greening’ of the SFP and the role of permanent grassland in meeting any further moves on this direction as an issue on which ICMSA will concentrate and come forward with proposals. ICMSA will also monitor the situation around the Nitrates Derogation and the association will set out the policy for a continuation or ‘roll-over’ of the derogation at the opportune time.

On the ‘national’ scene, Mr Comer noted the success of ICMSA in terms of the arguments advanced on capital taxation and family farm transfer. But he did express concern about plans to implement any form of capital asset test for eligibility for Third Level grants. This would be grossly unfair on farm families and ICMSA would insist that eligibility would continue to be tested on the basis of income – as presently. The association will be having a meeting with the Minister of Education on the matter. On the question of environmental matters – and specifically, septic tanks – Mr Comer said that from a farmer’s point of view that probably not enough attention had been given to the standard required of a given septic tank system. Once that standard has been identified and a proper grant scheme has been set up to offset the costs, the matter should be much more amenable to solution.

Mr Comer ended an already packed worksheet with special mention of seasonality schemes, animal health and disease and the cost of inputs. “I can guarantee every member of ICMSA – and indeed, the wider farming community – that we’ll continue to work solidly on their behalf and concentrate on bringing forward the solutions that are usually there if the work and research is done. That’s our role and that’s our heritage: we concentrate on solutions”, concluded the new President.

Ends.   5 January 2012.

John Comer, 087-2057846

President, ICMSA.

or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office

The position of Deputy President was won by Pat McCormack, the current Chairman of the Dairy Committee. The position of Chairman of the Beef & Cattle Committee was secured by Offaly’s Michael Guinan.  

Mr Comer’s election as 12^th President of ICMSA marks the first occasion in which a farmer from the West of Ireland has become the President of the milk suppliers’ organisation. Mr Comer told the National Council that he would give everything he had in the cause of farming families and he paid tribute to his predecessor and the staff.

Ends    21 December 2011