Sir, - Kevin Myers's attack on small farmers in general, and IFA's policy in relation to afforestation in particular, in "An Irishman's Diary" (July 26th) is ill informed and illogical. As regards his assertion that the small farmers of Ireland came into their lands by the Land Acts of the past 100 years, has he forgotten that earlier generations were removed from their lands by colonial plantations, landlordism and by religious persecutions?
He criticises farmers in conventional agriculture for being dependent on subsidies under the CAP, with the implication that his favoured alternative land use, i.e. forestry is commercially viable and unsubsidised. The reality, of course, is that the EU forestry programme consists of very substantial investment grants and annual premia, and forestry is a viable option only because of these supports. In addition, Irish Government policy is that income from forestry is tax exempt. He applauds the corporate investors for putting their money into forestry; however the reality is that these investors put their money into buying up the land, and the EU grant largely covers the cost of investment in the forestry.
Mr. Myers has misrepresented the IFA's policy on afforestation. It supports forestry as an alternative enterprise, but with two main reservations. Firstly, the national forestry programme must not be at the cost of major rural depopulation and decline. Secondly, the forestry incentives must not distort the land market, thereby making it very expensive for existing farmers to expand their holdings in order to improve their longer term viability.
It is fine for Mr. Myers, from the comfort of his office, to hanker for a return to a rural Ireland populated by trees and the occasional visiting guru expounding his theories on the origin of Irish placenames. In the meantime, the IFA will continue to put farm families and the viability of the rural economy to the forefront. - Yours etc.,
President,
Irish Farmers' Association,
Irish Farm Centre,
Bluebell,
Dublin 12.