Athenry tractor protest seeking support
GALWAY IFA are calling for a major show of strength at their tractor cavalcade in Athenry this Friday morning (11am), as part of a nationwide farmers’ rally.
Tractors, cars and jeeps have been asked to assemble at Athenry Mart on Friday (10.30am) for the planned hour-long (maximum) drive through the town.
However, the organisers have stressed that they will be doing everything to ensure that there won’t be any undue traffic disruptions or delays caused by the protest.
“We are conscious of the fact that the Leaving Cert examinations have started this week so we will be liaising with Gardaí to make sure that we don’t impact on this.
“We are also very much aware of the Covid-19 public health situation which is why our demonstrations across the country are confined to vehicles only,” said Galway IFA Chairperson, Anne Mitchell.
The Galway event will coincide with similar gatherings in county towns across the country on Friday to highlight what the IFA describe as the threats being posed to commercial farming across the country on a number of fronts.
In what will be the first large scale national demonstration by IFA since the start of the pandemic in March, 2020, farmers will be highlighting major concerns they have over the new CAP proposals and the Climate Action Bill.
“The farming and food sector employs 300,000 people across the country and contributed €13 billion of exports in 2020.
“Towns across the county including the likes of Athenry, Loughrea, Gort, Tuam, Ballinasloe, Oughterard and Clifden, rely heavily on the rural economy to survive.
“Any reduction in activity in agriculture will hit them hard,” said Anne Mitchell.
IFA President,Tim Cullinan, met Taoiseach Micheál Martin last week, where he told him that the current direction of the CAP and the Government’s Climate Action Bill could shut down commercial farming in Ireland.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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