EUROPEAN Farmers Organisation COPA – which represents 23 million farmers – has elected Joachim Rukwied from Germany as its new president.

Mr Rukwied – an arable farmer with 295 hectares producing grain, sugar beet, oilseed rape and field vegetables – said: “I will carry on with the excellent work of my predecessor Martin Merrild who helped to secure Copa’s position on the future CAP and pushed for a good trade deal between the EU and Japan.

“I am a convinced European and I strongly believe in the European added value in the Common Agricultural Policy. A top priority for me will be to make sure that we have a strong, common more sustainable and simpler CAP in the years to come, supported by sufficient funding, to help farmers tackle the increasing challenges like climate change and volatile markets.

"It is crucial to simplify CAP rules, to cut bureaucracy for farmers and to make sure that we have common rules across the EU," he stressed.

“It is important to keep direct payments at current levels in the first pillar of the CAP as this helps farmers to better manage income risks. Market safety nets must also be maintained and further developed. Focus also needs to be put on measures to help farmers better manage market risks with the development of futures markets to cope with the increasing market volatility."

But he stressed that these risk management measures must remain voluntary for producers to apply and remain in the second pillar of the CAP.

“Farmers positioning in the food chain needs also to be improved," said Mr Rukwied. "I welcome EU Agriculture Commissioner Hogan’s work here and I look forward to seeing concrete proposals in 2018 to eliminate Unfair Trade Practices in the food chain. We need legislation to curb UTPs since the voluntary approaches haven’t worked," he added.

He added that COPA had 'serious concerns' about the current trade deals being negotiated with the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur, as well as with Australia and New Zealand: "I will push to make sure that I get a good deal for European farmers and that agriculture is not used as bargaining chip in the talks,"

“As far as Brexit is concerned, it will be important to minimalise any disruption to trade and to fill the 10.3 billion euros shortfall caused by the exit of the UK from the EU”, he added.

Mr Rukwied will be supported by six vice-presidents, including Joe Healy from the Irish Farmers Association.