Larry stops the levies!!

CallofGuti

See on the journal and agriland there...

Larry Goodman is stopping the automatic collection of levies - you have to opt in if you want them stopped! Turkeys voting for Christmas!

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/breaking-abp-stops-automatic-levy-collection-220733#.V7RXnxqMCtM.twitter

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/breaking-ifa-income-under-threat-as-abp-set-to-halt-levy-collection-from-farmers

Surely others will follow??

ganmo

must of been costin him money to collect it

rangler1

ganmo wrote: »

must of been costin him money to collect it

Only a fool would opt in now, fair's fair, if farmers want representation, it should cost everyone the same, not this pay if you like effort.
I won't be paying anyway, should've been closed down six mths ago

theaceofspies

Best thing ever to happen to the IFA.
IFA survival now depends on actually representing farmers and getting tough with all the corporate vampires sucking farmers dry. ABP are seizing on the chance to stamp the IFA out of existence and with it the only whimper of a voice representing farmers.
Time for the IFA to man up fast while they still have some credibility left.

rangler1

theaceofspies wrote: »

Best thing ever to happen to the IFA.
IFA survival now depends on actually representing farmers and getting tough with all the corporate vampires sucking farmers dry. ABP are seizing on the chance to stamp the IFA out of existence and with it the only whimper of a voice representing farmers.
Time for the IFA to man up fast while they still have some credibility left.

Abolition of levy won't make any difference, been telling you that since i started here. Farmers themselves better take responsibility now, I'm not the only one that got pissed off and left.
Half the executive board plus j bergin staying on and retention of the levy shows you exactly the way they heed the members

theaceofspies

rangler1 wrote: »

Abolition of levy won't make any difference, been telling you that since i started here. Farmers themselves better take responsibility now, I'm not the only one that got pissed off and left.
Half the executive board plus j bergin staying on and retention of the levy shows you exactly the way they heed the members

You don't sound like the Rangler1 of old - no stauncher defender of the IFA could be found than yourself. What turned sour along the way?

rangler1

theaceofspies wrote: »

You don't sound like the Rangler1 of old - no stauncher defender of the IFA could be found than yourself. What turned sour along the way?

Top table told lies, those on the exec board that knew better, didn't contadict them,
Finally, farmers aren't bothered about their income....why should i be bothered.
FFS The nationaltreasurer being reinstated......you couldn't make it up

theaceofspies

rangler1 wrote: »

Top table told lies, those on the exec board that knew better, didn't contadict them,
Finally, farmers aren't bothered about their income....why should i be bothered.
FFS The nationaltreasurer being reinstated......you couldn't make it up

That's a sad but probably realistic indictment of many Irish farmers - many of whom are living off the laying hen.

rangler1

theaceofspies wrote: »

That's a sad but probably realistic indictment of many Irish farmers - many of whom are living off the laying hen.

Even latterly got a lot more of ''why should i attend protests when no one else does'' from loyal supporters,
Most are probably punch drunk at this stage tbf

pedigree 6

Well how are talks continuing with slaney meats and goodman and the ifa?:rolleyes:

rangler1

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Well how are talks continuing with slaney meats and goodman and the ifa?:rolleyes:

Haven't been involved since christmas, but don't you know how it's going to finish

carrollsno1

Great news for all farmers hopefully the rest of the factory's and milk processors follow suite we need to realise we can only solve our own situations ourselves by looking at what we can do to improve efficiencies on our own farms and not have a heap of prime boys out whinging and showing the poor mouth

kk.man

You would have to question ABPs motives on this proposal.
I am not an IFA person but if ABP does stop the EIF level due to farmer demand does that mean that farmer demand could stop their so called 'insurance charge'?!?

spyderski

Did many farmers know the levies were optional anyway? How many told the factories not to stop them from their cheque? I'm not involved in farming now, but the auld fella used to stop the factory applying the levy to his cheques 20 years ago, why are lads only copping on now?

WellKiiid??

kk.man wrote: »

You would have to question ABPs motives on this proposal.
I am not an IFA person but if ABP does stop the EIF level due to farmer demand does that mean that farmer demand could stop their so called 'insurance charge'?!?

Could farmer demand also increase prices???

The cheek of them to say that they are cutting the levies because of farmer demand!!

Cavanjack

Is the whole thing not a bit of a joke.
Factory collects money for Ifa one day then the Ifa blocks the gates the next.
I think healy's first job should have been to put an end to the factory levies.

rangler1

WellKiiid?? wrote: »

Could farmer demand also increase prices???

The cheek of them to say that they are cutting the levies because of farmer demand!!

Factories are pissed off with farmers looking for the levies refunded, it's an obvious solution,
Going by what's posted here, most have them stopped already

spyderski

WellKiiid?? wrote: »

Could farmer demand also increase prices???

The cheek of them to say that they are cutting the levies because of farmer demand!!

No need to increase prices. Pay the same per kg, don't stop the levy, automatic 15% more to the farmer. IFA did f**k all for beef finishers anyway.

rangler1

spyderski wrote: »

No need to increase prices. Pay the same per kg, don't stop the levy, automatic 15% more to the farmer. IFA did f**k all for beef finishers anyway.

Your maths is poor, it's .15% or €1.50 per €1000.......doing away with that will make all the difference to our incomes alright....15c/lamb here...yippee

freedominacup

spyderski wrote: »

No need to increase prices. Pay the same per kg, don't stop the levy, automatic 15% more to the farmer. IFA did f**k all for beef finishers anyway.

So you reckon ifa were drawing somewhere between €300,000,000 and €400,000,000 from Irish farmers up until recently. Jez yer man Smith was a cheap lay so. Half a million over two years for running an outfit turning over that sort of cash is small money.

Willfarman

freedominacup wrote: »

So you reckon ifa were drawing somewhere between €300,000,000 and €400,000,000 from Irish farmers up until recently. Jez yer man Smith was a cheap lay so. Half a million over two years for running an outfit turning over that sort of cash is small money.

In 2014 the IFA accrued 4.7 million by pilfering farmers produce sales cheques. (Without ever asking for written consent)

In 2014 the IFA paid pat smith €452,484 along with a company car and expenses.

freedominacup

Willfarman wrote: »

In 2014 the IFA accrued 4.7 million by pilfering farmers produce sales cheques. (Without ever asking for written consent)

In 2014 the IFA paid pat smith €452,484 along with a company car and expenses.

I don't doubt it. Other posters seem to think the sub figure was two orders of magnitude bigger though.

rangler1

Willfarman wrote: »

In 2014 the IFA accrued 4.7 million by pilfering farmers produce sales cheques. (Without ever asking for written consent)

In 2014 the IFA paid pat smith €452,484 along with a company car and expenses.

Government will be delighted to have the farmer lobby broke,giving more deserving cases and bigger vote catchers like health and social welfare a clear run at funding.
Come to think of it a better health service in my advancing years and contributory pension would suit me better now than a higher BPS

Username John

Is the following statement more or less true :

The IFA defenders / supporters on boards are full time farmers

and

The anti-IFA are moreso part-time farmers

Just wondering if this is the case?... Be interesting to see...

carrollsno1

Username John wrote: »

Is the following statement more or less true :

The IFA defenders / supporters on boards are full time farmers

and

The anti-IFA are moreso part-time farmers

Just wondering if this is the case?... Be interesting to see...

I'm in my early 20s work full time on a dairy farm come from a suckler farm that I'm hoping to take over down the line and buy a farm myself by the time I'm 35 and I am completely against the ifa and I was even before the general secretary's pay was disclosed to the public I will never join the ifa but will more than likely join the ICSA

boggerman1

Full time dairy farmer and have no time for the ifa.big time ****es who love being on the road and wouldn't do a scrap of work on their own places cause they probably have a clown behind to do the work

ganmo

Username John wrote: »

Is the following statement more or less true :

The IFA defenders / supporters on boards are full time farmers

and

The anti-IFA are moreso part-time farmers

Just wondering if this is the case?... Be interesting to see...

part time here neutral on IFA.
they do some good things but make some awful howlers

ould lad would be pro IFA

EarlyHead

Username John wrote: »

Is the following statement more or less true :

The IFA defenders / supporters on boards are full time farmers

and

The anti-IFA are moreso part-time farmers

Just wondering if this is the case?... Be interesting to see...

I'm a full time farmer and fell out with IFA over the lack of representation for the tillage sector over the last 10 years and cancelled my membership.

Since Joe Healy has come in he has followed through on campaign promises for the tillage sector, with the IFA having its first proper campaigns around tillage in years. So I am going to sign back up after the harvest is finished. But I'm not going to reinstate my grain levy at the merchants - it doesn't sit well with me. I would rather pay double my previous membership fee (or more if necessary) directly to IFA rather than have the levy deducted by the merchant.

MF290

EarlyHead wrote: »

I'm a full time farmer and fell out with IFA over the lack of representation for the tillage sector over the last 10 years and cancelled my membership.

Since Joe Healy has come in he has followed through on campaign promises for the tillage sector, with the IFA having its first proper campaigns around tillage in years. So I am going to sign back up after the harvest is finished. But I'm not going to reinstate my grain levy at the merchants - it doesn't sit well with me. I would rather pay double my previous membership fee (or more if necessary) directly to IFA rather than have the levy deducted by the merchant.

You would rather pay double but I assume you're not going to....

EarlyHead

MF290 wrote: »

You would rather pay double but I assume you're not going to....

I'm not sure how it works for other sectors but my membership fee was linked to the number of acres I farmed and came in around €150. I mightn't rate or like some of the people representing IFA but in my opinion we need a strong lobby and representation more than ever so I would be willing to pay €300 to fund resources to deliver and fight for my sector. My levy used to come in around that mark anyway - so for me I would prefer to give that directly rather than through the levy system which lacks transparency in my view.

MF290

EarlyHead wrote: »

I'm not sure how it works for other sectors but my membership fee was linked to the number of acres I farmed and came in around €150. I mightn't rate or like some of the people representing IFA but in my opinion we need a strong lobby and representation more than ever so I would be willing to pay €300 to fund resources to deliver and fight for my sector. My levy used to come in around that mark anyway - so for me I would prefer to give that directly rather than through the levy system which lacks transparency in my view.

That's fair enough, but will you be paying the 150 or 300? While the levy system isn't ideal it's hard to see a more suitable system. At the end of the day the grain merchants need the ifa too to lobby for the likes of glyphosate and inclusion of tillage farmers in tams ect

EarlyHead

MF290 wrote: »

That's fair enough, but will you be paying the 150 or 300? While the levy system isn't ideal it's hard to see a more suitable system. At the end of the day the grain merchants need the ifa too to lobby for the likes of glyphosate and inclusion of tillage farmers in tams ect

I can't remember how the sing up process for the membership works but I will tell them that I don't want to pay the levy and would prefer to contribute €300 directly.

Don't the merchants just collect the money and pass it onto IFA? Do they take an administration fee like some of factories and marts? I can remember it being in the press that was an issue with some of the levy collection administration fees, some places were taking 10% others weren't taking any.

rangler1

boggerman1 wrote: »

Full time dairy farmer and have no time for the ifa.big time ****es who love being on the road and wouldn't do a scrap of work on their own places cause they probably have a clown behind to do the work

I've the same opinion of dairy farmers, (although you'd never guess) but i wouldn't be thick enough to say it here

rangler1

EarlyHead wrote: »

I can't remember how the sing up process for the membership works but I will tell them that I don't want to pay the levy and would prefer to contribute €300 directly.

Don't the merchants just collect the money and pass it onto IFA? Do they take an administration fee like some of factories and marts? I can remember it being in the press that was an issue with some of the levy collection administration fees, some places were taking 10% others weren't taking any.

The farmers that insist on letting someone come to collect their membership instead of standing order are probably costing a lot more than 10% to collect....

EarlyHead

rangler1 wrote: »

The farmers that insist on letting someone come to collect their membership instead of standing order are probably costing a lot more than 10% to collect....

I wouldn't have even thought of someone calling out to me. I was planning on calling the membership number or try to re-signup online. In 30 years, I don't think I've ever had someone call out to me to collect membership. Who calls out to collect the membership, is it the regional development officers or the county voluntaries or a third party?

Willfarman

EarlyHead wrote: »

I wouldn't have even thought of someone calling out to me. I was planning on calling the membership number or try to re-signup online. In 30 years, I don't think I've ever had someone call out to me to collect membership. Who calls out to collect the membership, is it the regional development officers or the county voluntaries or a third party?

A sales rep type character used to call home years ago.

rangler1

Willfarman wrote: »

A sales rep type character used to call home years ago.

Yea, there's still one around here too, works with the Regonal developement officer.....waste of time and money not doing a standing order

whelan2

Hows IFA Telecom doing now?

barnaman

Im a full time farmer and member of IFA and ICSA. Not fond of levies collected directly but makes everyone farming contribute.

farawaygrass

rangler1 wrote: »

I've the same opinion of dairy farmers, (although you'd never guess) but i wouldn't be thick enough to say it here

I don't like the whole dairy farming bashing but the sweeping statement made by boggerman is just nonsense. Sure they have to have someone working their farm, and the Ifa lads have to be on the road. If they weren't people would be complaining too.
By the way I am on the fence/slightly pro Ifa, a lot more pro since Joe Healy won the election, am a paid member but stopped the levies long before the scandals broke.

Coolfresian

Stopped all levies here a few years ago. Iv no problem paying the subscription direct to the ifa/ icmsa. I'd pay a bit extra if they stopped all levies at source. Imo they should have been scrapped after what happened last year.

Irish Beef

farawaygrass wrote: »

I don't like the whole dairy farming bashing but the sweeping statement made by boggerman is just nonsense. Sure they have to have someone working their farm, and the Ifa lads have to be on the road. If they weren't people would be complaining too.
By the way I am on the fence/slightly pro Ifa, a lot more pro since Joe Healy won the election, am a paid member but stopped the levies long before the scandals broke.

Totally agree with this statement, I'm part time myself and feel the farmer needs to have a strong representive body and am paying 150 I think and wouldn't mind paying more if I felt I was getting valve for money.