Local farmer sets out stall for ICSA vote
Statement by ICSA presidential election candidate Sean McNamara, in advance of Wednesday’s ICSA presidential election
“If elected president, I will be focused on a fair price for livestock producers and fair play for all farmers when it comes to on-farm inspections.
Farmers in the drystock sector, the primary producers of beef and lamb, are being shafted week in, week out. I want to see all farmers getting a fair share of the final retail price and an end to the expectation that farmers can somehow produce food at below the cost of production. This problem has got worse with the escalation of input costs, and we cannot expect farmers to continue to produce.
For years the ICSA lobbied hard for an agrifood regulator and 2023 will see this office finally up and running. We need answers as to who is making what along the food chain and expose excess profiteering on behalf of the processors and the retailers.
I want to see more fairness for farmers in relation to on-farm inspections. As a general rule, farmers should be given notice of farm visits and schemes should be farmer friendly not tied up in red tape.
If the government are serious about climate change, there must be adequate funding to assist farmers to improve. There is no other sector expected to achieve miracles without substantial funding and farming is no different.
I want to work to increase participation by younger farmers and female farmers in our organisation.”
Sean McNamara
Sean McNamara is a sheep, suckler, and beef farmer, farming at Lismacaffrey. He is the current ICSA national sheep chair.
He is married to Eleanor, and they have four children ranging in ages from 19 to 25 years old, three of whom are active in the farming business. Sean also has a cattle and sheep haulage business and is, along with his son, involved in buying stock for other farmer clients; they also have an involvement in the live export of sheep and cattle.
The ICSA presidential election takes place this Wednesday, December 14, in Portlaoise. Mr McNamara will go head-to-head with the association’s current president Dermot Kelleher, who is hoping to win a second term in office.