Sinn Fein leader to address farmers at ICMSA AGM in Limerick

LARGE numbers of Limerick ICMSA members are expected to attend the association’s AGM being held on their doorstep in the Castletroy Park Hotel next week.

Mindful of the enormous changes both underway and to come in Irish farming, the association has assembled an absorbing line-up of speakers including Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald.

They will address the gathering on Monday, December 5 as well as field questions from the floor.

Following the statement of accounts and resolutions, beginning at 12.30pm, Deputy 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, who appeared on the Late Late Show of Friday night, 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.

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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 demanded on this very page of the Limerick Leader “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 for Agriculture Charlie 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”.

Members are requested to confirm attendance by ringing 061-314677.