The Government decision to dismantle the Rural Environment Protection Scheme will have a greater impact on Mayo than almost every other county, according to IFA presidential candidate John Bryan.
“With some 7,000 farmers in Mayo, more than 10 per cent of total participants involved in REPS, the impact of closing the scheme on the welfare of farm families and rural areas will be horrendous. Without REPS many of these farm families will be forced onto the Farm Assist Scheme. Also up to 2,000 people involved in providing REPS-related services in the county will lose their jobs. The decision makes no economic sense,” said Mr Bryan.
The Kilkenny drystock farmer, who visited a large number of farms in Mayo last week, said he is committed to a new and smarter style of leadership in order to reverse the savage cutbacks and to bring the agri-food sector centre stage in economic recovery.
“Ensuring that farmers are treated as equal partners with Government, processors, and retailers must dominate the IFA agenda over the coming years. The Government has completely reneged on the last two partnership deals and the supermarkets are second only to the banks in the way they have ripped off the Irish economy. Partnership cannot be a one-way street,” he said.
