Positive vibe as farmer Creed takes hot seat
THE fact that the new Minister for Agriculture – Cork’s Michael Creed – comes from a farming background of medium size is a good start for West of Ireland farmers, according to Galway IFA Chairman, Pat Murphy.
The Galway Chairman said that Michael Creed’s background as a medium sized dairy farmer [c. 50 cows] and his involvement with Macra at local level, was ‘very positive’.
“His background and work as a farmer should certainly be a big help in terms of Michael Creed tuning into the needs and problems of farmers across the country at present.
“We expect him to a very hands-on approach given his background in farming and there are many, many issues that need to be tackled as a matter of urgency,” said Pat Murphy. Among those issues he said were:
■ The introduction of a realistic intervention price [at least 25c/l] for milk to support the current depressed market.
■ A major push to consolidate and expand the current live export outlet for Irish cattle to increase completion for the factories.
■ Steps to be put in place to ensure that a growing monopoly situation in the meat processing sector is challenged.
■ The reintroduction of measures including the ewe payment to ensure that the sheep sector not only survives but thrives.
■ The undoing of cuts that were put in place during the financial crash and took money out of the poorest farming sector.
■ A ‘yellow card’ advisory system to be put in place as regards farm inspections with farmers given a chance to rectify any problems.
■ Far greater clarity and flexibility to be put in place as regards land eligibility issues that have caused ongoing problems over recent years.
“The Minister is only in the job for a few days but we look forward to working with him for the common good of Irish farmers.
“At the end of the day on this, we really are all on the one side. We have common and realistic goals that we want to achieve by working together,” said Pat Murphy.
Already new IFA President, Joe Healy, has called on Minister Creed to include the €50 million earmarked in the Programme for Government to be divided equally between a new sheep scheme and an increase in the ANC (areas of natural constraint) payments.
Michael Creed (52) is from Macroom, Co. Cork and was first elected as a TD back in 1989, He had been Fine Gael spokesperson for Agriculture but after supporting Richard Bruton in the leadership heave against Enda Kenny in 2010, Creed was ‘left out in the cold’ in the ministerial call-up of 2011.