West could change into national park: IFA warning

BY PAT MURPHY

A WARNING has been issued that the latest CAP proposals – unveiled last week – could turn the West of Ireland and parts of the Midlands into ‘a type of national park’ with very little agricultural activity going on.

Connacht IFA Chair, Pat Murphy, told the Farming Tribune, that he had ‘grave and serious worries’ about the future of farming in the West with the latest CAP announcement.

“The entire policy seems to be based on carbon credits which will involve the rewetting of boglands and peaty type soils in the region.

“As well as that, there is a huge emphasis on afforestation which will in effect take land out of agricultural usage for decades and maybe even for generations.

“We’ve all seen the impact of afforestation in a county like Leitrim where around 20% of the land is under trees. When this happens, economic activity dies with less and less children going to the schools and with fewer people in the shops of the local villages and towns,” said Pat Murphy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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