THE PRESIDENT of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association has claimed further budget cuts could undermine export growth in the agri-food sector.
Gabriel Gilmartin said many farmers had lost more than €10,000 a year as a result of cuts imposed in recent budgets.
Any further cuts “would undermine targets for export growth in the agri-food sector, which has provided a note of optimism despite the economic crisis”.
“Farmers should be treated on the same basis as public servants,” Mr Gilmartin added, and “there should be a Croke Park-style commitment to no further cuts for farmers”.
Unless there was a change to the Croke Park agreement, it would be totally outrageous to impose further cuts on the farming sector.
Citing the closure of REPS, cuts in the disadvantaged area payment, the halving of the suckler cow welfare scheme and the suspension of the early retirement scheme/installation aid, Mr Gilmartin said farmers, like public sector workers, had “done their bit”.
After publication of the ICSA pre-budget submission, he said he would be calling on Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to ensure that Minister for Finance Michael Noonan took a fair approach.
Acknowledging the need for budget adjustment, Mr Gilmartin said it was also vital that the Government understood that increased exports from the agri-food sector must be an essential part of a growth strategy.
“One key reality is that farmers need stability in terms of income in order that they can play their part in increasing exports.”
Key issues in the ICSA submission include support for schemes such as the disadvantaged area payment, the suckler cow welfare scheme and the agri-environment scheme.
Mr Gilmartin said the Government needed to understand the importance of land mobility and so the taxation regime must continue to support this through measures such as retaining the 90 per cent agricultural relief and land-leasing tax incentives.