Laois farms show of strength as Portlaoise brought to a halt
Hundreds of tractors took part in the show of solidarity protest
Hundreds of Laois farmers brought Portlaoise to a standstill this week as part of the national protest which the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) described as a show of solidarity.
Portlaoise's streets, main approach roads and junctions were jammed for hours on Thursday, Friday 1 as farmers demonstrated there dissatisfaction with several aspects of farm policy. The protest was mounted as part of a Europe-wide campaign to demand a better deal from the EU and its member states for farmers.
New IFA President Francie Gorman from Ballinakill was to the fore in explaining why the protest took place. He said the huge turnout of farmers across the country in Laois and other counties week cannot be ignored by the Government and the EU Commission.
“The deep frustration among farmers manifested itself in thousands taking to the streets to send a strong message that issues cannot continue to be ignored,” he said in a statement.
Mr Gorman said there will have to be a fundamental re-set in the way that farm policy is designed and implemented.
“Time and again, we have seen a level of complexity introduced that does not take account of the practicalities of day-to-day farming. One example would be the failure to pay farmers who are doing excellent work for the environment through the ACRES scheme. It’s simply not good enough and shows a lack of understanding of how these schemes work and deliver for farmers,” he said.
The Laois man said the IFA will meet with the Minister for Agriculture and the Taoiseach.
He said the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged that red tape has to be cut.
“This in itself is an admission that there is a problem, but the words have to be matched by actions.
“The CAP budget is completely insufficient. We need increased funding to support both food production and environmental ambition. The EU Commission has to engage directly with farmers on how this will be done.
“It is also time the European Commission and our own Government start to engage in proper consultation with farmers that takes on board their concerns rather than the top-down approach, as we saw with the farcical handling of the Nitrates derogation,” the President said.
The IFA President has said he has the backing of IFA National Council to do whatever is needed.