The Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association is supporting the IFA Day of Action on Tuesday, October 9th. Critical decisions in relation to the EU and Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budgets for 2014 to 2020 will be made before the end of this year with negotiations on the detail of the new CAP taking place during the Irish EU presidency in the first half of 2013.
The CAP budget is under threat with proposals from the EU Commission in relation to the Single Farm Payment (SFP) which, if implemented, would seriously undermine agricultural production in Ireland.
The agriculture and wider agribusiness sector in Ireland contribute €24 billion to the national economy with food and drink exports reaching €9 billion in value in 2011. The overall sector supports some 300,000 jobs across the country with several thousand of these in farm machinery businesses.
FTMTA endorses the IFA calls for:
- The retention of Ireland’s annual funding envelope for the SFP and Rural Development programmes.
- A SFP system that supports active farmers and underpins agricultural production.
- 50% national co-financing for Rural Development programmes to encourage on farm investment.
In recent years, media and political quarters have paid much lip service to the importance of the agricultural sector and the role that it can play in our national economy recovery. It is now time for action in support of this vital sector of the Irish economy and wider society.
The Association calls on our member firms to support the IFA Day of Action in drawing attention to issues that are as important to farm machinery businesses as they are to our farming customers.
