This article is from page 42 of the 2009-11-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 42 JPG
THOUSANDS of Clare farmers are still unable to make any provisions for 2010 as the future of the REPS scheme remains in doubt.
The Department of Agriculture failed to release any information on the possible restructure of the scheme at last week’s Teagasc REPS conference prompting the IFA to ac- cuse the Government of dragging its feat on the scheme.
The Department of Agriculture has been involved in a consultation proc- ess on the future of the scheme with stakeholders for more than three Tae) el ete
“It is high time the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, in- structs his department to put in place a meaningful scheme for the 30,000 farmers who will be leaving REPS 3 over the next two years,” said IFA Rural Development Chairman, Tom shitelars
“The allocation of funding indi- cated, over the next four years of the scheme, is woefully inadequate and will translate into payment levels that will make the scheme unattrac- tive to farmers.”
Meanwhile, Minister Smith was talking up the importance of the Irish agri-food sector at last week’s
Ireland the Food Island Awards.
“The Irish food industry is deeply embedded in the Irish economy and is vital to our future. It draws on our natural resources and the expertise of key market players to produce nearly one third of the net export earnings from primary and manufacturing industry which are so vital to our economy,’ he said.
‘‘As a sector where huge investment has been made in high standards of food safety and quality, it is also well placed to continue to contribute to the food security of millions beyond WOT EsDOLem
“Developing strong business rela- tionships through the supply chain, leveraging the capability in food re- search now available in the country and considering strategic consolida- tion can contribute to holding current markets and positioning the industry for growth in the new markets, which will emerge in the upturn.”
Minister Smith said the shape of the CAP post 2013 will also impact on the future of the agri-food industry. Food security and climate change will represent key global challenges requiring a strategic and joined up approach. They will also influence the ongoing work on the 2020 strat- egy for the development of the Irish agri-food sector.