Aontú TD for Mayo, Paul Lawless, has said that survey findings published today revealing that 1 in 3 farmers intend to leave the sector within the next five years, are “absolutely damning”.
Speaking today, Deputy Lawless said: “Serious credit to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) and Agriland for commissioning this survey, the findings of which are absolutely damning. I’ve warned time and time again in the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee that we were going to see a mass exodus of farmers from the sector, if the sector was not made viable. 80% of farmers surveyed expect to see a reduction in their income this year, and one in three farmers said they are leaving farming within the next five years”.
“Among the main issues reported by farmers was the heavy burden of regulation and paperwork, and the lack of predictable or reliable income each year. The demise of small Irish farms is going to cause shock waves across the globe if immediate supports are not put in place. Irish produce is second to none, and Irish farmers are the best and most sought after in the world. One thing the government could do to help is support Aontú’s bill which seeks to set a floor below the price of beef, to make it illegal for the factories and supermarkets to pay a price for beef which is below the cost of production”.
“We also need to reform the tax system. Because a farmer’s income fluctuates each year, they are getting trapped in having to pay high taxes on last year’s profit and pay high taxes on this year’s predicted income which is based on last year. But if this year is a bad year and last year was a good year, they are paying an extortionate amount before the 31st October deadline, at a time when they are already at their wits’ end economically. While there are other tax calculation options available to them, Revenue has been known to severely punish farmers who are even slightly off in their profit predictions, leaving farmers who choose that route with harsh fines. This needs urgent reform”, concluded Lawless.
