Aontú Agriculture Policy Launched This Morning Seeks to Subsidise Fertiliser Costs
Aontú have today launched their agricultural policy in which the party has pledged subsidies to help farmers cope with the cost of farm fertiliser.
The party, in its manifesto on agriculture, also promises to provide strong opposition to the attempts to cull the herd, ban turf, and to the Nature Restoration Law. Aontú is also calling for an increase in CAP and for active farmland to be categorically excluded from the Residential Zoned Land Tax.
Speaking at the document launch, party leader Peadar Tóibín TD said:
“Farming is in crisis in Ireland. We don’t make that statement lightly. A new report by Teagasc confirms income levels across farms fell in 2023. Dairy incomes dropped 69% compared in 2023. Tillage farm income fell 71% last year. The average income for Cattle farms fell by 14% last year to €12,600. Sheep farm incomes fell 22% to just €12,500 last year. Across all farm types the average income has dropped by 57% in 2023 to just under €20,000. These are massive falls. All of his before we even mention the massive increase in input costs in farming in those last few years. As a result of income falls every year farmers are leaving the sector. If this were to happen in any other sector, it would be front page news and it would dominate the Dáil debates. It shows beyond a doubt that farming is no longer a sustainable livelihood for most families”.
“According to Teagasc 1/3 of farmers are making a loss. Many are going into debt. Many of them are in poverty. 1/3 of farmers are only making a living because someone in the family is working off the farm to supplement the income of the farm. Only 1/3 of farmers currently are actually making a living from farming. That’s an incredible situation. One of the most important sectors in society, the sector that produces our food and the sector that’s the backbone of our rural community is collapsing. Even if you had no interest in farming families or rural Ireland, this is a very serious issue. If here are no farmers, there is no food and as a result there is no future. Food security has increased in importance in the last few years. The Russian invasion of Ukraine shut down so many supply chains leading to products not being available but also to significant inflation. Covid too shut down so many supply chains and created enormous product inflation. Food security necessitates a viable farming sector”.
“Aontú will reform the food market. You might think that there is no money in food. But this is not the case. Food production is a multibillion-euro industry. It’s a highly profitable industry. There are three elements in the food supply chain; farmers, food processors and supermarkets. Farmers do by far the most work but they receive the least mount of profit. Food processors on the other hand are very profitable. Supermarkets are also raking in profits. The truth is the food market in Ireland operates as an oligopoly. A small number of supermarkets and beef barons have massive buyer power, they have control over all aspects. Aontú will create a strong competition authority. In the long run to fix this situation we need a stronger competition authority. This competition authority will be responsible for reducing the buyer power of food processors and supermarkets. Over time it will have the objective of increasing the number of food processors there are within the market to ensure proper competition for farm produce.
Aontú opposes Mercosur Trade Deal. Aontú opposes the culling the Herd. The government’s farming policy is forcing farmers to increase stock levels. This economic policy is pushing farmers into poverty and having an enormous impact on the environment. If farmers received more profit per beast, they would not have to stock so much. Aontú opposes the Green party’s attacks on farming and rural Ireland. Aontú was the only political party to oppose the Climate Action Bill in the Dáil. We did as we knew this Bill would increase pressure on farmers. Sinn Féin are speaking out of both sides of their mouths on this issue - they supported the Climate Action Bill, they voted in favour of it - of the legislation which paved the way for these targets and reductions in herd numbers. Aontú opposes the Banning on Turf sales in a costing of fuel crisis. Aontú seeks an increase in supports for Farmers. Under the BWS and the SCEP Aontú
seeks to increase support to farmers to €300 per suckler cow and €37 per ewe. Aontú seek a Tillage Survival Scheme payment of €250/ha and a Tillage Expansion Scheme of €400/ha to be paid on land converted into tillage in year one. CAP funding must be increased and used to support farmers, food production and food security. EU environment actions must be financed through a separate fund. This separate fund should be focused on actions from future implementation of the EU Nature We oppose the Nature Restoration Law. We oppose the Residential Zoned Land Tax being imposed on active farmers.
This Dublin-centric government has pandered to the Greens and neglected rural Ireland for far too long. The government has beaten rural Ireland to a pulp with a green stick. If we truly care about the environment, we need to support Irish agriculture”, concluded Tóibín.
