IFA Cancels Kerry Presidential Debate: Controversy Unfolds
In an unexpected turn of events, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) announced the cancellation of the presidential and deputy presidential debate originally slated for Monday night in Kerry.
The decision, relayed through an email from IFA deputy president and national returning officer, Brian Rushe, stemmed from an email circulated on Friday morning, allegedly from Kerry IFA.
Rushe clarified that this email was not endorsed by Kerry IFA and contained several misleading and potentially damaging statements. It has been reported to the Gardaí for further investigation.
Regarding a recent funding support package of €2.383 million allocated to the horticulture sector, IFA’s fruit and vegetable chair, Niall McCormack, expressed gratitude while highlighting concerns.
He pointed out that some growers might not meet the eligibility criteria for this support. Additionally, a scheme with undisclosed payment rates provides limited relief to the financial strain experienced by growers.
McCormack emphasised the exclusion of the vital white mushroom production sector and a majority of Irish-grown strawberries from the support scheme, asserting the need for rectification.
He underlined the shared challenges faced by these growers due to inflated input costs. The mushroom sector, in particular, has witnessed a significant decline in grower numbers in recent years.
Critically, McCormack lamented the absence of national funding supplementing the EU Agricultural Reserve allocation.
He urged Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, to address this shortfall in the upcoming Budget, deeming it a missed opportunity.
He further underscored that the funding could have been substantially more impactful, citing the European Commission’s provision for member states to augment the funding with 200% support from the National Exchequer.
Given the escalating costs of horticulture crop cultivation coupled with pricing pressures from food buyers, there is little margin to account for unforeseen circumstances like adverse weather conditions or spikes in input costs.
Growers are presently contending with the demanding task of harvesting outdoor crops in highly challenging conditions, with losses expected.
In light of these challenges, McCormack urged for comprehensive support that encompasses all growers, safeguarding the resilience and sustainability of the horticulture sector from further decline.
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