10,000 Irish farmers are expected to protest in Dublin on Tuesday (9th October) over the future of funding for the industry. The ‘Day of Action,’ coordinated by the Irish Farmers’ Association is set to be the largest demonstration by farmers in Ireland for a number of years.

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The farmers are protesting against reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy, which will see a reduction in the amount of subsidies they receive and cuts to the Irish government’s €300 million farm spending budget from December.

The farmers will gather and march at noon through the capital, ending in front of the Dáil, one of the houses of the Irish parliament, where speeches will be made in a “show of solidarity” between various members of the food sector.

The farmers claim the reductions in funding will impact upon food production and potentially cost Ireland “thousands of jobs”, though changes to the CAP scheme are set to see more funding going towards rural development schemes, which could benefit others in the rural food sector as well as improving the natural environment.

The IFA announced on Monday (8th October) that “the vast majority of dairy co-ops, beef, lamb, pig and poultry processors, grain merchants and livestock marts will close to accepting farm produce on Tuesday 9th October” in support of the ‘Day of Action.’ IFA president John Bryan commented, “The agri industry fully understands the consequences for their businesses and the 300,000 jobs depending on the sector if the EU Commission gets its way on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.”

However, some farmers have expressed reservations about the march, suggesting the IFA has adopted a blinkered, market-centric view of what is a diverse industry. Tony Lowes, director of Friends of the Irish Environment, also pointed out that CAP reforms would provide benefits for farmers on less favoured land and provide much needed support for smaller farmers and rural communities. He said, “The result of this reversal in payments would be a transforming boost to rural economies with the payments going directly to small farmers and local economies, supporting towns and villages.”

The Irish government has said its hands are tied on the matter of cuts; ministers claim they have been forced to make cuts across every department. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said he is working hard in ongoing CAP negotiations to protect the interests of Irish farmers.

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