Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government commits to supporting small food producers with "on-farm diversification enterprises and investment in local processing facilities". The reality is that small farmers, fishers and producers are very vulnerable to the prices set by the larger retailers and the processors. They are being squeezed between rising operating costs and fluctuating prices, then they are getting prices that in no way reflect the expenses and the work that goes in to producing food. When will producers see the benefits of the commitment in the programme for Government?

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