July 12, 2010

ICMSA meet Minister Smith in Brussels as critical decisions required in dairying, single farm payment and threat to beef sector

Speaking after meeting Minister Brendan Smith in Brussels this afternoon, the ICMSA Deputy President, John Comer, said that rarely has there been so many critical issues up for decision at the same time and with so much riding on Ireland's ability to defend her interests. Mr Comer said that any one of the High Level Report on dairying, the future of the Single Farm Payment or the threat to our beef sector from the revived Mercosur Trade Agreement would necessitate a concentrated effort on the part of the Irish Government, but activity on all three fronts now demanded an unprecedented effort in terms of co-ordination and lobbying.

On the threat to our beef sector posed by Mercosur, Mr Comer said that this time the threat was bilateral in nature as opposed to the all-encompassing WTO and he said that the President of the Commission's support for the agreement was most improper as the President had neither the political authority or the legal base to negotiate any such deal. Mr Comer was confident that the French would be able to 'see off' any such deal but they should be assured of our support at every stage and with all the energy we can muster, said the Deputy President.

On the question of the SFP, Mr Comer said that farmers would particularly welcome Minister Smith's assurance, given to the ICMSA delegation, that Ireland would be concentrating on securing the maximum budget that could be allocated for the purposes of SFP and that the SFP would be directed to active farmers and farming families, as far as that's possible.

The picture was darker when discussions turned to the dairy sector. Minister Smith assured the ICMSA delegation that market supports would still be available after the abolition of quotas post 2015. But Mr Comer argued that the instruments available would prove wholly inadequate to the task required and he urged Minister Smith to remember those circumstances that had led to the catastrophic milk price collapse right throughout 2009. ICMSA would continue to press for what Mr Comer described as a sensible and prudent supply-management system that tried to 'peg' supply to demand and would avoid the spikes and collapses that had nearly bankrupted Irish dairy farmers over the last two years.  

Ends.       12 July 2010

John Comer, 087-2057846

Deputy President, ICMSA.

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758 or 061-314677

ICMSA Press office

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