IFA President John Bryan has said that the Green Party's policy on climate change will derail Ireland's economic recovery by imposing unrealistic restrictions that will destroy the potential of the agri-food sector to deliver exports and jobs.
He said if the Greens are allowed to persist with what he called their ‘misguided agenda’, then the €4bn growth potential in exports set out in the Government's Food Harvest 2020 strategy for the sector will not be achieved.
With an election due in the next two months, he said, the proposed legislation should be abandoned.
Mr Bryan said the Green Party's refusal to accept the damaging implications of their policy for Ireland is dishonest.
He said food production in this country, which is carried out on a sustainable basis, would be replaced by countries from South America, which have a very poor record on the environment.
The IFA leader said Ireland is uniquely positioned for the future with our plentiful supply of water and a low-carbon model of meat and milk production.
Jeopardising this opportunity for Ireland, he said, is ‘madness’.
Mr Bryan said this week's export figures underline the important role that agri-food will play in driving Ireland’s economic recovery.
