Published: Wednesday, 14th October, 2009 4:59pm

Desperate farmers warn of winter cash crisis over collapsing incomes

by Ann Casey

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Farmers took to the streets of Kells in a convoy of slow-moving tractors on Monday to protest at Government cuts and the devastating impact that collapsing farm incomes are having on farm families and the rural economy.

Around 120 tractors travelled into the town from the Mullingar Road at around noon and traffic came almost to a standstill for 40 minutes as they passed through Kells.

In John Street, the tractors stopped while farmers handed in a letter to the offices of local Dail Deputy Johnny Brady, the Fianna Fail chairman of the Oireachtais Agriculture Committee.

Similar protests took place in 29 towns around the country on Monday.

Meath IFA's Anthony Clinton said farmers were now facing into a winter of cash shortages and farm families are facing the worst income crisis in a generation. "Farm incomes have fallen by up to 25 per cent this year and were down 14 per cent last year," he said.

Mr Clinton pointed out that there are 300,000 people employed in agriculture nationally and 25 per cent of employment outside of the Greater Dublin Area was in farming - and this amounted to 14 per cent of employment nationally.

He said that agriculture was worth €110 million annually to Meath, between farming jobs and processing, and accounted for €8.2 billion in exports from Ireland annually.

"It is estimated that farmers supply rural towns and businesses with €4.5 billion in business each year," he said.

"Farm families are in cash crisis this winter and rural TDs and ministers must defend the economic activity of rural Ireland by reversing the draconian cuts on vital farm schemes," he said.