New Farmer Lobby group

Connemara Farmer

So, someone had news? Oh yeah, that was me and here it is:

PRESS RELEASE – new farming organisation

A new national farming organisation to represent marginalised low income farmers is to be set up. A committee has been formed which comprises of farmers from lowland, hill and those with designated land to work towards the launching of an organisation by the end of February. Farmers from a number of counties met in Westport on Sunday evening where farmers felt that their issues were not being satisfactorily represented by the farming organisations that are currently there. Spokesperson for the committee Mr Colm O Donnell stated that the priority of a new organisation will be to protect farm incomes which continue to fall especially in the more marginalised areas. The focus must now be on protecting the future viability of the family farm.

http://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php/news/24501-new-national-farm-organisation-established-last-night-in-westport

rangler1

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

So, someone had news? Oh yeah, that was me and here it is:

PRESS RELEASE – new farming organisation

A new national farming organisation to represent marginalised low income farmers is to be set up. A committee has been formed which comprises of farmers from lowland, hill and those with designated land to work towards the launching of an organisation by the end of February. Farmers from a number of counties met in Westport on Sunday evening where farmers felt that their issues were not being satisfactorily represented by the farming organisations that are currently there. Spokesperson for the committee Mr Colm O Donnell stated that the priority of a new organisation will be to protect farm incomes which continue to fall especially in the more marginalised areas. The focus must now be on protecting the future viability of the family farm.

http://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php/news/24501-new-national-farm-organisation-established-last-night-in-westport

Suppose that means I still have to go to Dublin
Hey, I'm finishing with IFA on 9th feb and will be open to offers
Good luck with that, I'll be watching for your name in the national officers

naughto

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

So, someone had news? Oh yeah, that was me and here it is:

PRESS RELEASE – new farming organisation

A new national farming organisation to represent marginalised low income farmers is to be set up. A committee has been formed which comprises of farmers from lowland, hill and those with designated land to work towards the launching of an organisation by the end of February. Farmers from a number of counties met in Westport on Sunday evening where farmers felt that their issues were not being satisfactorily represented by the farming organisations that are currently there. Spokesperson for the committee Mr Colm O Donnell stated that the priority of a new organisation will be to protect farm incomes which continue to fall especially in the more marginalised areas. The focus must now be on protecting the future viability of the family farm.

http://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php/news/24501-new-national-farm-organisation-established-last-night-in-westport

is that it you where better off if you where pregent

Connemara Farmer

rangler1 wrote: »

Suppose that means I still have to go to Dublin
Hey, I'm finishing with IFA on 9th feb and will be open to offers

Yes it does.

I finished with IFA this morning, resigned both jobs I had. I know of a few more who have done the same.

Connemara Farmer

naughto wrote: »

is that it you where better off if you where pregent

Be less work being preggers I reckon.

Mac Taylor

freedominacup wrote: »

This is absolutely no f'n help at all.

Freedom, apologies I havent a notion what Con's news is either!!!!

I was following the old saying "Tell a lie to find a thruth" (Francis Bacon - I believe but someone can correct me)

But I got some laugh off your comment:D:D:D

Kevhog1988

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Yes it does.

I finished with IFA this morning, resigned both jobs I had. I know of a few more who have done the same.

more time for twitter

naughto

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Be less work being preggers I reckon.

i have a feeling you will be getting rode a lot longer in the new job than you would in the time to get preggers.
i heard about this meeting in westport allright did not think you would be in the middle of it,fair play hope it goes well

rangler1

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Yes it does.

I finished with IFA this morning, resigned both jobs I had. I know of a few more who have done the same.

You've a mammoth task ahead of you, I was involved in the same 20 yrs ago......very hard to maintain sustained support

Connemara Farmer

theemigrant wrote: »

more time for twitter

Haha, less time for everything from here on in.

naughto wrote: »

i have a feeling you will be getting rode a lot longer in the new job than you would in the time to get preggers.
i heard about this meeting in westport allright did not think you would be in the middle of it,fair play hope it goes well

We'll see how it plays out, it needs doing anyway. It'll be as good or as bad as the people who get involved and active in it.
I've been doing bits and pieces for the past couple of years really, certainly not the brains of the outfit but I will contribute when, where, and if I am able to.

rangler1 wrote: »

You've a mammoth task ahead of you, I was involved in the same 20 yrs ago......very hard to maintain sustained support

I fully agree, there's going to be SFA easy about it.

Connemara Farmer

rangler1 wrote: »

Good luck with that, I'll be watching for your name in the national officers

"They seek him here, they seek him there" comes to mind

Reggie.

Best of luck with it con man

blue5000

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

So, someone had news? Oh yeah, that was me and here it is:

PRESS RELEASE – new farming organisation

A new national farming organisation to represent marginalised low income farmers is to be set up. A committee has been formed which comprises of farmers from lowland, hill and those with designated land to work towards the launching of an organisation by the end of February. Farmers from a number of counties met in Westport on Sunday evening where farmers felt that their issues were not being satisfactorily represented by the farming organisations that are currently there. Spokesperson for the committee Mr Colm O Donnell stated that the priority of a new organisation will be to protect farm incomes which continue to fall especially in the more marginalised areas. The focus must now be on protecting the future viability of the family farm.

http://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php/news/24501-new-national-farm-organisation-established-last-night-in-westport

Best of luck Con, hope ye don't pull too much money away from us poor beef farmers further east:):)

Connemara Farmer

blue5000 wrote: »

Best of luck Con, hope ye don't pull too much money away from us poor beef farmers further east:):)

Lowland farmer are included if you read the release again.

This isn't confined to a geographical area nor is it solely representing hill or commonage farmers.

Connemara Farmer

http://www.agriland.ie/news/new-farming-organisation-targets-20000-farmers/

Base price

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Yes it does.

I finished with IFA this morning, resigned both jobs I had. I know of a few more who have done the same.

I think the IFA will be poorer after loosing your talent and drive.
Best of luck with the new organisation and I wish them the best of success.
BTW will the new organisation be able to qualify for monies withheld for the EIF levy?

Connemara Farmer

Base price wrote: »

I think the IFA will be poorer after loosing your talent and drive.
Best of luck with the new organisation and I wish them the best of success.
BTW will the new organisation be able to qualify for monies withheld for the EIF levy?

I can't answer that right now, tbh I'd prefer to stay away from factory levies but that's just my opinion. Don't have a problem with mart levies tbh.

Base price

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I can't answer that right now, tbh I'd prefer to stay away from factory levies but that's just my opinion. Don't have a problem with mart levies tbh.

When you find out could you let me know. I hope that it is not a closed shop but I have a funny feeling that there is some crap legislation that prevents ye receiving any monies.
If it is the case, then that is one battle that I would love to have

Connemara Farmer

Base price wrote: »

When you find out could you let me know. I hope that it is not a closed shop but I have a funny feeling that there is some crap legislation that prevents ye receiving any monies.
If it is the case, then that is one battle that I would love to have

Yeah I'll jot that down and see, but I wouldn't think that issue would be on the radar tbh considering other issues at the moment and ones approaching.

Bullocks

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I can't answer that right now, tbh I'd prefer to stay away from factory levies but that's just my opinion. Don't have a problem with mart levies tbh.

Best of luck Con

A cow called Daisy

Best of luck Con.

rangler1

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I can't answer that right now, tbh I'd prefer to stay away from factory levies but that's just my opinion. Don't have a problem with mart levies tbh.

Stay away from beef price anyway,

Base price

rangler1 wrote: »

Stay away from beef price anyway,

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Birdnuts

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Yeah I'll jot that down and see, but I wouldn't think that issue would be on the radar tbh considering other issues at the moment and ones approaching.

Will the new group absorb the likes of the IFDL??

adne

Good luck with it con, a true representative body for farmers in disadvantaged areas is truly needed

Connemara Farmer

Birdnuts wrote: »

Will the new group absorb the likes of the IFDL??

We'll see, I know there's been contact, and there are some similar issues. It's very early days yet regarding a lot of details in fairness.

Charliebull

Best of luck con, no better man for the job
And don't what Charlie said when forgot when dealing with people

You can't put a set of balls on a unich

Brown Podzol

Best of luck Con.

Mac Taylor

Con, best of luck with the new organisation.

Genghis Cant

Charliebull wrote: »

Best of luck con, no better man for the job
And don't what Charlie said when forgot when dealing with people

You can't put a set of balls on a unich

Very best of luck Con.

And heed Charlie's advice. He's speaking from experience B-)

Username John

http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/new-farm-lobby-group-sets-out-stall-on-glas-access-30919814.html

Very interesting...

Maybe I'm behind the times with this, but I hadn't heard / seen it before.

Bullocks

Username John wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/new-farm-lobby-group-sets-out-stall-on-glas-access-30919814.html

Very interesting...

Maybe I'm behind the times with this, but I hadn't heard / seen it before.

You must be one of the few that weren't waiting for Con's news Sunday night !

Connemara Farmer

My fault, I will ask the mods to split out the relevant posts from the CC thread.

Username John

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

My fault, I will ask the mods to split out the relevant posts from the CC thread.

Nah, it's ok Con. I don't follow the chit chat too much, so wasn't aware of it.

Kovu

In case anyone is wondering why they have Déjà vu, posts moved here from FCC

Farmer Pudsey

Best of luck Con give them hell.

frazzledhome

All the best, how do ye propose funding the new organisation?

solerina

Excellent news, Badly needed......Best of luck Con

Connemara Farmer

frazzledhome wrote: »

All the best, how do ye propose funding the new organisation?

This has only been formally decided to go ahead on Sunday

There is a lot of discussion and work to be done regarding structures, policy, funding etc.

A few points on funding have been discussed privately but it'd be premature for me to say anything at this stage when the situation is very fluid.

Not trying to give you a short answer, just a straight one.

Mad4simmental

Congrats con,
ye will get support from the peek of the hills to the bottem of the bogs.

Mac Taylor

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Not trying to give you a short answer, just a straight one.

Con, if ye keep what you just wrote there as one of ye're guiding principles ye will have a very good shot at getting this successfully off the ground. Straight talking and not what people want to hear is unfortunately in short supply these days.

whitetail

Congrats all the best for times ahead will help in anyway.

Muckit

Best of luck. A fresh approach from a new group can only be a good thing. Well done.

Farmer Pudsey

frazzledhome wrote: »

All the best, how do ye propose funding the new organisation?

The funding question cuts both ways. Any new organisation depends on volunteerism and lads not wanting to make(not recover all there costs)money out of it.

The other side of the coin is the effect it will have on other organisations. Say it ends up with 20k members. At 80/head this is 1.6 million the other organisations are down. As well is these memberss stop levy's you could add another million.

Reading the FI during the week Pat Smyth came under a lot of pressure at a meeting in Limerick last week. Limerick is a funny farming county good land but smallish farms compared to Cork or the East coast. The beast will trash a little yet before it is mortally wounded.

Muckit

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

A few points on funding have been discussed privately but it'd be premature for me to say anything at this stage when the situation is very fluid.

Not trying to give you a short answer, just a straight one.

Whatever ye do, don't go (as an organisation) casually putting you're hands in farmers' pockets and then IF they take notice and IF they're not happy about it, getting them to have to ask politely for their own money back.

Up front the start and ye can't but succeed. Farmers need leadership. They need it now. And from the right people.

Connemara Farmer

Thanks for the good wishes above

Muckit, on levies, I think you have hit the nail on the head. I've my own personal opinions on them, and wouldn't be against levies totally but I would have conditions very much in favour of the farmer being the one to make the informed decision to participate, or not, depending on their own view.

djmc

Well done con a good farmers Union is badly needed missing since the late 1960s or 70s IMO.
Would like to see where a man could ring factory mart or creamery's and tell them who they want levies to go to.

Username John

Lot of talk about levies....

I'd be more interested in hearing what the group plan to do, policies, then everyone can decide about levies, value for money, etc, etc...

I think people wont care (that much) about levies, if they feel the union / group are doing a decent job for them...

I'd be more interested in hearing where they position themselves, as I think the IFA tried to be all thngs to all people, which just wasn't possible...

frazzledhome

djmc wrote: »

Well done con a good farmers Union is badly needed missing since the late 1960s or 70s IMO.
Would like to see where a man could ring factory mart or creamery's and tell them who they want levies to go to.

There's nothing stopping you from ringing meat plant, mart or milk processor to have the collection of levies stopped. It's optional

rangler1

Username John wrote: »

Lot of talk about levies....

I'd be more interested in hearing what the group plan to do, policies, then everyone can decide about levies, value for money, etc, etc...

I think people wont care (that much) about levies, if they feel the union / group are doing a decent job for them...

I'd be more interested in hearing where they position themselves, as I think the IFA tried to be all thngs to all people, which just wasn't possible...[/QUOTE]

Is this group not trying to do the same, what are they going to do to a 40ha suckler farmer with a SFP of 500/ha, as far as I can see they're going to try to take 200/ha of him......that is the core of farmers we were trying to protect, that is the av farm size of our members.
It seems they want to represent ''lowland farm families''. I'd like to hear their policy on that one.
How do you represent a 40ha farmer with €500/ha without encompassing a 200ha with €500/ha if the EU have set the limit for subs at €200000.
Will they tell my 40ha example farmer he's getting too much....sooner them than me,

It might be inadvisable to spread their agenda too wide

djmc

frazzledhome wrote: »

There's nothing stopping you from ringing meat plant, mart or milk processor to have the collection of levies stopped. It's optional

Thanks didn't know that.
Pity department levies can't be stopped.