Agriculture

Cairns calls for CAP subsidies to be shifted from farmers to consumers

The Social Democrats TD says the current system encourages below-cost selling and benefits supermarkets rather than farmers

Holly Cairns: the Social Democrats TD at home in her polytunnels where she grows fresh produce including tomatoes and corn. Picture: John Allen

Food production subsidies should be removed from farmers and implemented at the point of consumption to stop the practice of below-cost selling of food, a Social Democrats TD has said.

Holly Cairns, who was raised on a small farm in west Cork, told the Business Post that the current system of subsidies for food production, dominated by Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments, was ultimately subsiding supermarkets and industry, rather than farmers.

She said subsiding at ...