Fine Gael is looking at the party’s internal agricultural structures to increase its appeal to agricultural and rural voters, Farming Independent understands.
Major changes are expected to Fine Gael’s Agricultural Affairs Group at the upcoming AGM, and the party has set up a new policy group to focus specifically on agriculture amid climate challenges. Queen.
In a statement, a party spokesman said:Fine Gael Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Forum will hold its AGM on Saturday, May 7.
As well as the election of officials, on 7 May there will be an all-day conference on agricultural and rural issues, open to members and supporters of Fine Gael and will provide an opportunity for The party’s public representatives, members, supporters and selected guests are invited to discuss the major issues facing rural communities and the agricultural sector.
More details will be published in the coming weeks, a spokesperson said.
Agriculture Secretary Martin Heydon (FG) said the party was “very mindful” of the difficulties farmers face.
“We are very mindful of the fact that these are very difficult times for farmers; Farmers may feel a little besieged by a Dublin-based media that has a bit of a narrative.
They also feel that, amid the many changes to various policies that have taken place in recent years, they have waited so long for commodity prices to rise and now that they have it, they are suffering. impact of high input costs.
“We, as a party, must engage with them and ensure that the policy decisions we are making are the right ones to protect the economy of rural Ireland.” FG Congress Party Chairman Richard Bruton said
The new group’s main aim is to “map the path to prosperous family farms by 2030 amid the need to make climate adjustments”.
He added: “We believe there are a lot of positive opportunities for agriculture in that context, farming specifically in that it has the potential to sequester carbon as well as manage emissions, so it is in a Very strategic location.
“But we need a policy roadmap to enable farmers to develop opportunities across a range of sectors from energy to carbon farming…
There is no connection at all, this is a real challenge, it is a policy area that needs more thought and we recognize that existing policies are not enough in this area. “Last week an online FG meeting about food discussed the future of agriculture – including sustainability and better incentives for horticulture.
A source at the meeting said:No one is saying shutting down dairy and beef but highly intensive production is not sustainable in the long run, with small profit margins – so the industry has to find more environmentally sustainable ways of producing food.
“The whole problem of methane emissions, especially in dairy farming, is not going to go away, and while the margins in beef are so small, it’s not worth the farmer’s time. The industry cannot depend almost entirely on dairy and beef farming and the horticulture industry cannot be allowed to collapse.”
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/news/fine-gael-hopes-to-woo-rural-voters-with-new-agri-policy-group-41396025.html Fine Gael hopes to appeal to rural voters with new agricultural policy group
