A Clare farmers’ representative insists consumers will ultimately pay the price if the European Commission continues to “bury its head in the sand” when it comes to carbon taxes.
The Commission this week unveiled a Fertiliser Action Plan aimed at dealing with rising costs and supply shortages, which have been worsened by instability in the Middle East.
The European Commission has announced support measures for farmers struggling with fertiliser costs, with prices in some cases up 70 percent compared to two years ago.
Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen has outlined short-term emergency support for farmers, along with greater flexibility around Common Agricultural Policy payments.
In the longer term, he wants to shift towards more environmentally friendly fertilisers that are less reliant on fossil fuel imports from the Middle East.
But one Clare farmers’ representative insists fertiliser must be made exempt from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the short term, claiming it is having an “astronomical” effect on food production costs.
Former ICSA General Secretary and Cratloe farmer Eddie Punch says either food production will be reduced because of the costs associated with the carbon tax, or food prices will increase, leaving consumers to bear the impact.
IFA President Francie Gorman travelled to Brussels yesterday to take part in a protest calling for CBAM to be scrapped.
Clare IFA Chair Stephen Walsh says rising food production costs will leave some producers with no option but to shut down.
Listen to the full interview here
