A large number of farmers turned out in Dungarvan today to demonstrate their opposition to changes to the Common Agricultural Policy.
The proposals at EU level would see all farmers getting the same payment per hectare, which the chair of Waterford IFA says would result in about 8 million euro per annum being lost locally.
Kevin Kiersey was among those protesting in Dungarvan, and he said described Waterford as a "productive" county farming wise, which would stand to lose out as the proposals would see payments redistributed to other farmers across the country.
IFA #Waterford on the move through Dungarvan #StandUpForFarming pic.twitter.com/iasGZAJQGC
— Irish Farmers' Association (@IFAmedia) June 11, 2021
He insisted that it's not a case of big farmers versus small: "Our policy will always be too look after all farmers at all times but we have to prioritise. We have to look after the full-time productive farmers primarily, these are people who depend on EU funding for their farm income. There are many in the suckler and beef areas, that they're almost 100 percent on EU payments and if any of that money is lost to them, they will become more unviable and will probably go out of business."
