Tipperary-based IFA President holds first meeting with new Agriculture Minister, Barry Cowen

IFA President, Tim Cullinan. Photo © Tipp FM

The Tipperary-based president of the Irish Farmers Association has described his first meeting with the new Agriculture Minister as businesslike.

Toomevara’s Tim Cullinan says his job as leader of the country’s largest farming organisation is to work with Minister Barry Cowen and his team.

Speaking on Tipp Today Tim said having what he hopes will be a stable government is key to some of the many agriculture issues that need to be addressed:

“We have a lot of concerns and one of the key concerns that I raised with the minister yesterday was obviously CAP reform and the budget because it’s at a crucial time. The Taoiseach has a meeting with the heads of state next week, which is a critical meeting – it may decide the budget for the CAP for the next round, which is the next 7 years.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure on finances, as you can imagine.”