Farmers highlight concerns on the streets of Ennis

THEY rolled through the main streets of Ennis with their high powered John Deere, Massey Ferguson and Zetor tractors. They caused a lot of interest but no major traffic disruptions and one hour later, all  IFA protesting farmers had departed for their various home destinations.

It was all part of last Monday’s national show of strength by the Irish Farmers’ Association whose members drove their tractors through the streets of 29 cities, towns and countries in protest over falling prices for farm products and Government cuts to the sector.
Just over 100 tractor owners from Clare assembled at Clare Marts on the outskirts of Ennis and the tractorcade moved off at 11.30am in the direction of Clonroad, New Road, Club Bridge, Abbey Street and O’Connell Street. Each tractor displayed posters signifying farmers’ concerns and anger at falling prices and cuts.
In the lead tractor was Michael Lynch, chairman of the Clare County Executive of the IFA and he was followed by IFA veteran and county executive president, Tom Cahill from Corofin, now in his 90th year, who was accompanied by his brother Jim, also a well known IFA stalwart.
The protest moved quietly and swiftly through the main streets of Ennis, starting out at the Club Bridge at 11.55am and finishing at the Old Ground Hotel corner at 12.20pm.
Similar protests caused traffic chaos in other urban centres but in Ennis the local gardaí reported no major disruptions.
IFA chairman, Michael Lynch, told The Clare Champion that the purpose of the tractor protest was to highlight the difficulties in farming. They did not seek to disrupt traffic flow in Ennis. The protest took place at a time when it would have least effect on business. Their protest had ended before schools’ lunchtime when there would be extra traffic about.
The IFA chairman said he was happy with the turnout which reflected the very serious situation Irish farming is now in as a result of the combination of bad prices for products, the collapse of  milk price,  bad returns from grain, cattle, sheep; the bad weather, as well as Government cuts over the  past year. All combined to put many farmers in very serious financial situations.
He added that over the past few years, farmers had invested heavily to comply with the Nitrates Directive and Farm Waste  Management and a combination of factors had put them under pressure.
He added that farmers have to live in the economy the same as everybody else but are not receiving a return in income. Many farmers are trying to repay their debts and there is pressure on them to maintain their living standards, which would fall on most farms this year.
Seamus Murphy, vice chairman of Clare IFA County Executive, also told The Clare Champion that the closure of REPS 4 to existing farmers continuing on from REPS 3 is sending the wrong signal to farmers and more especially to farmers who farm in environmentally sensitive areas. These areas are designated as Special Area of Conservation, Special Protected Areas and Natural Heritage Areas. The land has to be farmed to a specific farming requirement in order to protect the unique habitat that have been identified under EU wide Natura 2000 network of environmental designations. When these designations were first proposed, farmers were given two options to compensate them for any loss or expenses incurred due to the designation. Many farmers chose the REPS option and signed a five-year contract with the Department of Agriculture. They embraced the new environmental challenges of the designation and adapted their farming methods to comply with the new special environmental measures brought about by Natura 2000 Designation. He added that farmers stayed in REPS and as one scheme finished, they moved to the next one.
“Currently, these farmers in REPS 2 and 3 do not have the option of continuing in REPS as REPS 4 is closed to all. Farmers had built in the REPS payment as part of their income from farming and were depending on it to keep their farm viable. Farmers have a legitimate expectation that these funds will be available as long as their lands had the designation imposed on their farms,” Mr Murphy said.
He added it was unfair that these farmers should be abandoned.
Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith said on Monday that he fully acknowledges the difficulties facing the farming community this year and said he has been consistently working both within Government and at EU level, to alleviate the current problems faced by the sector. 
The minister stated that a key element is the bringing forward of the Single Farm Payment and also the support measures being put in place by the EU Commission in relation to the dairy sector.