The Laois man who is the national Macra na Feirme president has said the suggestion of re-introducing Milk Quotas is “baffling” and has hit out at what he claims is the Minister for Agriculture’s move to “divide the farming community”.
At last week’s Food Vision Dairy group, the Department of Agriculture outlined three scenarios which it has modelled regarding the ‘Restricted Growth’ of the Dairy Sector in Ireland.
A limit on dairy cows per farm, a limit on volume produced and the establishment of a greenhouse gas entitlement per farm are the three options under consideration by the Department to limit the Irish dairy sector.
When the Vision group held its first meeting in early February, Macra na Feirme were adamant in calling out what materializes from the group is not a quota dressed up as something else.
Macra na Feirme national president John Keane said” “Irish farmers are world leaders in sustainable and secure food production systems.
“It is baffling to think that the Department are considering reintroducing quotas that will slow generational renewal even further, halt efficiency gains in the sector and leave farm families in vulnerable positions.
“In early February, Macra na Feirme
“Division of farmers and farming communities does nothing to serve the Irish rural people.
The Macra president went on to say: “This air of uncertainty needs clarification, since the news broke on the modelling done by the Department of Agriculture, countless farmers have contacted me worried about their future, their investment, and their family’s financial stability.
“The Minister must move to reassure these families that volume caps or herd restrictions will not be implemented or forced upon Irish farm families in any sector.
“With global demand growth for dairy products, it must be asked who has the Department of Agriculture identified as being better at producing sustainable dairy produce than Irish farm families?”, concluded Keane.
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