Longford farmers push for fairer prices and stronger supports

The President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, said that the Government must understand the extent of frustration and anger as farmers and agricultural contractors watched their basic viability being eroded by deeply unfair pricing and their wholly justified concerns being dismissed as ‘temporary blips’ or somehow beyond Government control or remedy.

“The current protests are happening in advance of a six to eight-week period on farms that will see the most intensive use of fuel and fertilisers with crops being sowed and silage being harvested – and consequently, the most serious costs. That’s why we need to see actions and measures aimed at relief now - not in two months’ time”, said the ICMSA President.

“The maths on this is very simple and very alarming: eight weeks ago, a farmer had to sell two litres of milk to cover the cost of one litre of Green diesel."

"Today, that same farmer has to sell probably five litres of milk to cover the costs of that one litre of Green diesel."

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He added, "Remember also, that even then – eight weeks ago - it was costing the farmer more to produce the milk than he or she was receiving in payment for that milk and you quickly realise how much more desperate the situation has become."

"Any farmer in Ireland today is considerably better off by not doing anything; not milking his or her cows, not spreading slurry or buying and spreading fertiliser. Not producing milk or beef. That’s an impossible position and we need to hear the Government recognise that”, said the ICMSA President.

Mr Drennan said that the problems in the pricing of Irish food and the ‘built in’ costs that were making Irish farming unviable “obviously” preceded the war in the Gulf and would still apply if and when the Ceasefire held.

“ICMSA believes and all the evidence proves, that these problems are inherent in the cost-basis of Irish farming that are then magnified in the unfair margins being taken along the supply-chain. Obviously, like all right-thinking people, farmers wish for peace in the Persian Gulf."

"But the idea that peace there will resolve our problems in farming and food production here is delusional and allows those in a position to address the underlying problems to delay or ignore them till the next international crisis breaks out."

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He added, "We need – and have long needed – the highest possible representatives of Government to look at the inherent costs of producing food in Ireland, the lop-sided margin-allocation along the supply-chain, and the resultant wild volatility of farm incomes that is the single biggest obstacle to getting the next generation of farmers in situ."

"This isn’t an overnight problem; it didn’t start with the war in the Gulf – nor will it end there."

"We are bumbling along and making-it-up-as-we-go with the farmers and primary producers expected to ‘take one for the team’."

"That’s no way to operate and we desperately need the Government to recognise that and start looking at real long-term solutions to the problems that are now so evident”, he concluded.