IFA announce five regional CAP information meetings

IFA has announced a series of regional Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) information meetings.

IFA President Francie Gorman said the next three months will be critical in the campaign to secure a CAP budget that will underpin the future viability of Irish agriculture.

“IFA will hold regional meetings in September, to inform farmers of the damaging impact of the current proposed CAP budget cuts. This is the next step in our ongoing CAP campaign, following on from the launch of the online CAP Hub at the Tullamore Show earlier this month,” he said.

“I would encourage all farmers to come along and inform themselves of the scale of the proposed cuts, and how IFA is campaigning to protect Irish family farms. Farmers must be made aware of the economic impact on their family farms, and also to their rural communities. CAP payments are a crucial part of what makes Irish agriculture and rural Ireland tick, and any cuts to CAP would seriously jeopardise the future viability of family farms and rural economies,” the IFA president said.

“Restoring the CAP budget must be a priority for the Irish Government, as it currently holds the EU Presidency during this crucial period. Our Government must use this opportunity to steer the debate and achieve an outcome that will provide farmers and the wider rural economy with the resilience needed to tackle the challenges ahead. IFA will be working through political channels here and via our office in Brussels to highlight the importance of a realistic level of support for our largest indigenous sector.”

As part of the information campaign, IFA will hold regional meetings across the country, with meetings in the Connacht and Ulster/North Leinster regions scheduled to begin at 8 p.m..

The Connacht regional meeting will take place at the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris on Wednesday, September 9th, while the Ulster/North Leinster meeting will be held at the Kilmore Hotel, County Cavan, on Tuesday, September 22nd.

Farmers attending the meetings will receive an update on the proposed CAP budget cuts, their potential impact on farm incomes and rural communities, and the actions IFA is taking to protect funding for Irish agriculture.

*Regional meeting dates and venues: Connacht -Wednesday, September 9th, McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, Co Mayo (8 p.m.); Ulster/North Leinster: Tuesday, September 22nd, Kilmore Hotel, Co Cavan (8 p.m.).