IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy on the €1.4m decrease in IFA annual accounts.

“I am concerned about it and I’ll be absolutely straight up and honest about it because that’s why I’m here. I think we have to build the confidence of farmers back up, and go out and meet them and explain to them what we’re doing, and I believe that farmers will come back and support the [IFA] levy situation. I’m not surprised at the position we’re in, that was always going to happen, but the big thing is that we have a solid foundation and we can build on that.”

IFA farm family and social affairs committee chair Caroline Farrell on the Fair Deal Scheme.

“For 2018 we’re hoping to get Fair Deal over the line, a lot has been done so far with Minister Jim Daly and Maura Canning our previous chairperson, there’s movement been made but there are still issues to be sorted. We have a commitment from the minister and his Department to get it over the line and make it more equitable for farmers and to put a three year cap on the assets for farmers.”

IFA Donegal chair Michael Chance on fodder

“Fodder is very much on our minds at the minute, we had two loads up from Waterford yesterday and I’m going on Thursday to look at straw in Kildare. It’s mostly the south of the county and it’s limited to pockets, we’re not claiming that everyone is short on fodder but the people who are in difficulty are in quite severe difficulty.”

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