Members of Mayo Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) met with MEP Maria Walsh and TD Kieran Keogh today (Saturday, March 1) to discuss plans for reduced production on peat soils.

The meeting took place on T.J Duffy's farm in Westport, Co. Mayo, where farmers raised "concerns" over policy threats to farming on peat soils under Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC 2) and the Nature Restoration Law, along with a number of other issues.

Mayo IFA chair John Lynskey said that farmers "will be livid over the absence of any engagement with farmers" on plans to reduce production on peat soils.

He said apparent "reduced intensity proposals" for farming on peat soils "is very concerning".

The Mayo IFA chair said that the new government, and the new EU Commission, have "emphasised" that co-operation and engagement will be "central" to any discussions about land use.

“The idea that a roundtable would convene and those who own nearly 80% of the land in the country would not be present flies in the face of what farmers have been told would happen,” Lynskey said.

“Farmers’ annoyance and frustration about being continually told what they can or cannot do with their own land is increasing, despite soft talk about simplification and reducing red tape,” he added.

The Mayo branch also highlighted farmers’ "frustrations" over delayed payments for the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

Lynskey has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon and his department to "step up" to deliver an interim ACRES payment similar to the one made in spring 2024.

“This payment needs to be made immediately to alleviate the financial pressures on thousands of farmers around the country. The time for talk is over. Farmers have done the work required of them, yet they have not been paid,” he said.

“It’s just not good enough. Farmers entered ACRES in good faith and they need to be paid, and paid now. The DAFM need to honour their end of the bargain and get payments out," Lynskey said.

A national meeting on the issue of policy threats to farming on peat soils will be held next Thursday, March 6 by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).