Westmeath IFA chief ploughs ‘NO CAP CUTS’ message into field ahead of EU summit

A powerful message opposing proposed cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been ploughed into a Westmeath field by the county's IFA chairman, Richard O’Brien, as farmers across Ireland step up their campaign to protect vital agricultural funding.

The striking message, ‘NO CAP CUTS’, was marked out in a field on O’Brien's farm, with his son using a drone to capture aerial footage of the statement, which is aimed at attracting attention ahead of a major gathering of European Union leaders in Dublin later this week.

The campaign comes amid growing concern about proposals for the next CAP funding programme, which could have a significant financial impact on farming families and rural communities.

According to figures highlighted by the IFA, Westmeath could lose €8.8 million annually in agricultural payments if the originally proposed cuts are implemented. This would amount to more than €61 million over the 2028-2034 period.

The potential impact would extend well beyond individual farm payments, with an estimated €12 million or more in annual losses to the local economy and approximately 96 jobs affected each year.

Speaking about his decision to put the message in the field, O’Brien said the initiative was part of a nationwide effort by the IFA to highlight opposition to reductions in CAP funding.

“Ahead of this Friday, where all the heads of Member States are coming to Dublin, the IFA nationally are continuously on a campaign against the cuts to the CAP budget. To highlight it this week, county by county we are making a statement in their own particular way,” he explained.

“I've got a bit of high ground at home and I said, there's the spot, I'll plough my message into the field. My son has a drone, so we put it up to get the picture to highlight the issue.”

O’Brien said he hoped the weather would remain clear so that the message might even be visible to some of the European representatives travelling into Dublin.

He added that the initiative had received strong support from fellow IFA members. The Westmeath chairman has been vocal in his opposition to proposed CAP reductions for some time. Around this time last year, he was among approximately 7,000 farmers who travelled to Brussels to protest at an EU summit over decisions that could shape the future of European agriculture.

O’Brien said the IFA wanted CAP funding to be directed towards farmers who were actively producing food, managing livestock, harvesting crops and farming their land sustainably.

He warned that if Brussels proceeded with the proposed reductions, the Irish Government would come under pressure to make up the shortfall.

“We are looking to have those cuts lessened by Europe, but if Europe doesn't do it, we'd be putting serious pressure on our own Government. We've told them that through several lobbying events, that we'd be putting pressure on them to bridge the gap,” he said.

He also questioned the economics of food production, arguing that farmers were being expected to provide affordable food without receiving adequate returns to cover the rising cost of production.

“The CAP originally was a cheap food policy. The only one that seems to be getting the cheap side of it are the producers,” he said.

He believes consumers ultimately face a choice: either food prices increase to reflect the true cost of production, or farmers receive sufficient financial support to keep food affordable.

“Everyone has to eat,” he said, adding that Ireland must also consider the environmental and sustainability implications of becoming increasingly dependent on imported food.

O’Brien acknowledged that the field project would not have been possible without assistance from others, with three people helping to mark out the message, while he operated the tractor and his son carried out the drone filming.

The work took approximately an hour to complete. His message is clear: protecting CAP funding is not simply about supporting individual farmers, but about safeguarding food production, rural employment and the wider economy.