Farmers call for better share of retail prices from 'modern-day dictators'
Farmers are calling for a better share of retail prices.
IFA President Joe Healy says retailers are “modern-day dictators”, who abuse their power to accumulate vast profits.
He made the comments at the organisation’s AGM, where Brexit was described as the most serious threat facing the sector.
Ensuring there’s a strong budget for the Common Agriculture Policy is vital in Brexit negotiations, according to Healy.
“We will be pushing our Taoiseach to ensure that they go after the CAP budget in the same way as they’ve gone after phase 1, with the same determination and vigour.
“The CAP budget is crucial to Irish farming, crucial to the Irish rural economy and the economy as a whole.”
He also says farmers are "wide awake" on the issue of climate change.
“We need to highlight the fact that agriculture has continued to play its part,” said Healy.
“For example, since 1990 agriculture has increased our production by 40% and in the same time we’ve reduced our carbon emissions by 3.5%.”
However, Mr Healy says farm safety is the number one issue for the IFA.
“No matter what we talk about – commodity prices, trade deals, CAP – for families that have suffered as a result of a farm accident or, particularly, a fatality, a lot of those other things are insignificant.
“The biggest and most important message we can send out is to encourage farmers to think safety and farm safely.”
