Sinn Fein leader to speak at AGM of ICMSA

A special invitation has been issued to North Tipp members of ICMSA to attend the association’s AGM being held in Limerick’s Castletroy Park Hotel on Monday, December 5. Mindful of the enormous changes both underway and to come in Irish farming, the association has assembled a stellar line-up of speakers who will address the gathering as well as field questions from the floor in the solution-seeking tradition of the farm organisation.

Following Statement of Accounts and Resolutions beginning at 12.30pm, Sinn Fein’s leader, Mary Lou McDonald will outline what Irish farming can expect from any government with a substantial Sinn Fein component. This is the first time the Sinn Fein leader will address a major farm meeting and her take on the future of Ireland’s biggest indigenous economic activity will be eagerly anticipated. Seamus Greene of Ornua will give a dairy outlook for 2023, Joe Burke of Bord Bia will look at the prospects for food exports and Liam Woulfe of Grassland Agro will look at the controversial area of soaring fertiliser prices.

The Assistant Garda Commissioner, Paula Hillman, will address the farmer audience on the response to the nationwide and increasingly fraught issue of gangs of trespassing ‘hunters’ intimidating, threatening and even assaulting farmers in their own yards or fields. ICMSA has been to the forefront in demanding a much more effective and practical approach to this problem and there is bound to be some straight-talking on this issue.

The meeting will end with Minister McConalogue and ICMSA President Pat McCormack addressing the audience on the raft of new regulations and rules being introduced to Irish farming – some of which pertaining to nitrates Mr McCormack has described as “disastrous and disabling of the dairy sector in which we are world leaders”.

Breaks will be held through the event with dibber served at the conclusion of the event at 7pm. Members are requested to confirm attendance by ringing 061-314677.