Forgotten Farmers Battle Continues

The group representing the “Forgotten Farmers have acknowledged the assistance they have received from myself over the past year. The group organised a huge meeting in Athlone in February of last year with the help of myself and this brought some success when the deadline year for entry into various schemes was moved back from 2010 to 2008. This change in the rules has made a real difference not only for the farmers affected but also for the communities in which they live. In Williamstown, just seven additional farmers were accepted under the rule change but this has resulted in a total of the €103,000 being pumped into local economy.
The Williamstown example is a real expression of the importance of farming in our rural areas. Farming has always been the backbone of our rural economies and it is vital that we encourage young farmers to come on board so that farming remains sustainable in the future. We need to face up to the reality that we need young farmers so that our rural areas are viable for future generations.
“We need to continue the battle to have all our young farmers included in CAP and we realise that accommodating the additional number will only require a small percentage of the funding available under CAP.