European election candidate Barry Cowen has reiterated his “unequivocal support” to farmers and food producers.
The Fianna Fáil TD has insisted that his door will “always be open” to those working in the agriculture sector if he is elected to the European Parliament after this Friday’s (June 7) election.
The former minister for agriculture has vowed that he would be “the strong, knowledgeable and reliable voice farmers need to represent them in Brussels”.
Farmers
Earlier this week, Lakeland Dairies delivered an empty milk carton to all 27 MEP candidates standing in the Midlands North West constituency, including Barry Cowen.
The dairy processing co-op said that the symbolic gesture aimed to illustrate the importance of the dairy sector to the region.
Lakeland Dairies appealed to the candidates to “never to allow anyone in Europe to imagine a rural Ireland without milk production”.
In response, Barry Cowen has insisted that “there will be no empty milk cartons on my watch”.
“Farmers must be supported and I will be the reliable and approachable voice for the agriculture sector on the European stage – if farmers and food producers have a problem, I will be easy to find.
“Farming and sustainable food production is central to my European election campaign, and I will be a strong and knowledgeable voice for farmers if elected on Friday,” he said.
Cowen
The Laois-Offaly TD said that there needs to be a greater understanding of the issues facing farmers and food producers.
“They deserve and must receive far better treatment, a fair deal is a necessity, and I will back them in Brussels.
“I will push for policies that benefit farmers, reduce red tape and reward them for their hard work. We must replace the income foregone and costs incurred metric with a reward-based scheme that incentivises farmers for delivery.
“I have already outlined my priorities for the next CAP agreement, and we must acknowledge that every sector has different needs and requirements, and schemes should be targeted at them all, whether it be dairy, beef, livestock or tillage.
“If I am elected to Europe this Friday, I will champion the issues of farmers and food producers, they are the custodians of the land and provide us with food – they cannot be overlooked or cast aside any longer,” he said.