WTO would deliver a 66% reduction in the number of young farmers – Macra
29 July 2009
Macra na Feirme national president Catherine Buckley said the Government must lay its cards on the table and support the French position on WTO or the consequences for Irelands young farmers will be a dramatic plummet in their numbers.
Young farmers under 35 currently represent 8% of farmers or approximately 9,000 farmers and if a bad WTO deal is struck the numbers could drop to a mere 3,000.
‘Young farmers will be pushed to the verge of extinction as WTO becomes a ‘Worst Trade Outcome’, said the president of the young farmers’ organisation.
Ms Buckley said the proposals currently tabled for agriculture would result in no young farmer entering the cattle or sheep production sectors. Also many young farmers would see no future on many of the country’s dairy and tillage farms due to the size and scale that would be required to compete under the terms of WTO.
Young farmers are highly skilled and are key to the further development of the industry and an industry devoid of youth is an industry without a future.
'For the agricultural industry to have a future, it needs young farmers and this is the Government’s opportunity to show its supports young farmers and make their voices heard for a better deal for Irish Agriculture', she said.
