Collective agreement issue still not sorted

John Rabbitt and John Creaven from Ardrahan at the Teagasc Farm Walk on Michael Fahy’s farm in Caherduff, Ardrahan last week. PHOTO: HANY MARZOUK.

placeholder image — John Rabbitt and John Creaven from Ardrahan at the Teagasc Farm Walk on Michael Fahy’s farm in Caherduff, Ardrahan last week. PHOTO: HANY MARZOUK.

A ‘CLEAR the air’ statement last week by Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney, on the hill/commonage crux is only ‘a step in the right direction’ and doesn’t tackle the core problem of the 50% collective agreement clause.

That’s according to Connemara Hill Farmer representatives who plan to picket the Castlebar office of Taoiseach Enda Kenny ‘into the foreseeable future’ unless there’s a Government concession on the collective agreement clause.

Last week, Minister Coveney announced that the maintenance grazing requirement for marginal lands for the Single Farm Payment would be equivalent to one ewe per 1.5 hectares of land (3.7 acres).

He said that a lower level would apply where this stocking rate could not be justified on environmental grounds – that part of Minister Coveney’s statement has been welcomed by the hill farmers.

Minister Coveney said above that maintenance level, the management of the grazing requirement would be a matter for the individual claimants, provided the commonage was kept in good condition and met all the requirements of the Basic Payment Scheme.

He also said that there would be substantial flexibility granted to the shareholders joining GLAS as regards the management of the grazing requirement.

Connemara IFA Regional Chairman, Brendan Joyce, told the Farming Tribune that while the maintenance grazing announcement by the Minister was ‘a step in the right direction’ the problem with the 50% collective agreement clause was still unresolved.

“What we would see as a potential solution to this problem is for the Minister to accept a pledge or commitment over the course of the GLAS plan from the hill/commonage farmers to seek the 50% collective agreement.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.