ANGRY Clare farmers will return to the picket line to highlight unresolved issues next year following their participation in a national demonstration, it emerged this week.
A blockade of the Musgrave distribution centre in Kilcock, Kildare, started on Sunday at 3pm and was called off on Monday night following a meeting between Musgrave management, the Gardaí, Limerick Deputy Richard O’Donoghue and protesting farmers.
West Clare farmer, Seamus Shannon outlined the farmers’ protest was organised by individual farmers rather than any farm representative organisation, and was supported by hauliers and agricultural contractors who are very concerned about escalating fuel prices.
Mr Shannon said farmers were “incensed” by a recent letter written by Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe, requesting banks not to lend money to young farmers.
“That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Can you imagine if a public representative you voted for went behind your back to your bank manager and asked him not to lend money to you?
“It was ridiculous in the extreme and arrogant. While the protest has been called off, the anger over this letter has not dissipated.
“We will be coming back to see what further action needs to be taken. This protest is unfinished business. The issues remain unresolved. There will be further action to ensure that these issues are resolved. There is a lot of anger out there. When we come back to protest again in the New Year, the protest will be much bigger, it will only grow from here. “
When Mr Cuffe attempted to clarify his position on an RTÉ interview, stating he shouldn’t have singled out young farmers, Mr Shannon said farmers were incensed even further as they felt he meant to say all farmers shouldn’t be lent money by the banks.
“We are looking for Ciaran Cuffe to stand down. It was a step too far in the eyes of ordinary decent farmers who can’t survive without access to credit. We are trying to improve our facilities, upgrade our machinery or purchase replacement stock, which requires access to credit.”
Mr Shannon criticised the decision to shut down turf production by Bord na Mona while peat and peat briquettes are being imported, which has a much higher carbon footprint.
He said there were a good contingent Clare farmers at the protest on Sunday who are members of different farming organisations such as the IFA and Beef Plan.
“There were 300 farmers from all over the country and 200 tractors at the protest.”
Joe Woulfe, who is chairman of Clare Beef Plan, said he attended the protest last Sunday on an individual basis and wasn’t representing Beef Plan.
Mr Woulfe said he was very shocked about Mr Cuffe’s letter as farmers required loans for farm investment and to build a house near their farms.
He said the government needs to address a number of issues such as the burden placed by the increase in carbon tax on farmers. The protest was also attended by Patrick Crowe, Kilmurry McMahon. Under CAP 2023-2027, there will be a 25% reduction in the payment from the Basic Payment Scheme.
Mr Shannon said recouping this cut depended on the farmer’s performance in environmentally friendly schemes, which was unacceptable.
In the Programme for Government Micheál Martin committed to ring fence €1.5 bn of carbon taxes for a decent environmental scheme for farmers. However, Mr Shannon pointed out the figure under CAP 2023-2027 is less than half of that.
At a time when fuel prices are at a record high, the government increased carbon taxes in the last budget, which Mr Shannon described as an “act of national sabotage”, that will increase the cost to all consumers of every commodity including food.
He said the government need to scrap carbon taxes until there are real alternatives fuels available and farm machines are capable of using these alternatives.
Agriculture is blamed for contributing 35% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Shannon claimed there is no impartial, objective scientific research behind this figure, which doesn’t take into account carbon sequestered by grass, trees and hedgerows.
Mr Shannon said Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue is proposing to reduce that slaughter age limit should be reduced from 30 to 24 months.
He proposed the slaughter age limit needs to be increased to 36 months to enable cattle to mature more naturally with less use of imported and GM concentrates.
The Clare Champion submitted queries to the Green Party Press Office, Mr Cuffe and the Department of Agriculture, but hadn’t received any responses at the time of going to press.

by Dan Danaher