War of words erupts between IFA and Offaly Minister

The IFA has described comments made by Minister Pippa Hackett in relation to part-time farmers as “shocking,” saying she is effectively celebrating the fact her policies are making farming unviable.

The main farming organisation has called on Minister Charlie McConalogue to clarify his position in relation to the remarks.

In the Seanad this week, the Offaly-based Green Minister and Senator said part-time farmers should be held in higher regard than they are.

“Most farmers in Ireland ARE in fact part-time,” she told Seanad Eireann. “And there is nothing wrong with that. Some of the best farmers I know are part-time. Yet the term hobby farmer is bandied around in relation to part-time farmers like some sort of insult.

“With a levelling of EU direct payments in the form of convergence and other measures, it’s quite likely that we will see more part-time farmers into the future. Some bemoan that, but I believe it is something which should be welcomed, encouraged, and indeed supported.”

By comparison, the Minister questioned the regard in which ‘productive or commercial’ farming is held and the effect it is having on the environment.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t be quite so quick to consider the drive for more and more production as an unquestionable good,” suggested Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.

However, IFA President Tim Cullinan said comments by Minister Hackett that farmers having to go ‘part-time’ because of reduced payments should ‘be welcomed’ is an astonishing position.

The reality is that many farmers are forced to work off farm because of the drop in their incomes arising from reduced direct payments.

Tim Cullinan said this would be a shocking comment from anybody, never mind a Minister in the Department of Agriculture. The Minister is effectively celebrating the fact her policies are making farming unviable, he claimed.

“The Minister is correct that part-time farmers should be supported.  Many of these farmers are actually working more than 40 hours on their farms, but also have to work off farm in order to survive,” he said.

“The Minister has now revealed the real Green agenda which is to destroy farmer viability,” he said.

“This comes on top of the actions of Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe writing to the banks asking them not to lend to young farmers.  It shows they are completely hostile to anyone trying to make a living from farming,” he said.

“Minister McConalogue must clarify immediately if he too feels we should welcome the destruction of farm viability,” he said.

IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said direct payments make up a huge percentage of drystock farmers’ incomes.

“The Minister’s statement will confirm the suspicion of many farmers that Minister Hackett and the Green Party are running the show and are seeking to put livestock farmers, whether full-time or part-time, out of business,” he said.

However, Minister Hackett said in the Seanad that it shouldn’t matter whether a farmer is full-time or part-time, rather that they do more than produce a profit at any cost.

“Take something as basic as hedges. Data from Teagasc has indicated that a staggering 90% of hedges on intensive farms are classified as low quality – exhibiting issues such as impoverished ground flora, low species diversity, and gappiness.

“And increasingly on such farms, there are also other pressures. Rising energy, fertiliser and feed costs have impacted on farmers across the country. Our pig sector is in huge difficulty, and our grassland farmers are facing very challenging decisions in terms of fertility inputs this year.”

“Let’s start acknowledging those farmers who see themselves as true custodians of the land - as managers of enterprises, yes – but also as caretakers who are just passing through, determined to leave to the next generation land, which has been nurtured, regenerated, and enriched,” ended Minister Hackett.