A meeting of EU policy makers, Irish farmers and agricultural specialists will take place at a European People's Party (EPP) conference this Friday 19 April in Co Carlow.

Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly and EPP vice-chair Siegfried Muresan MEP will bring the various speakers together to discuss the EPP vision for agriculture.

The event will take place in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Co Carlow, from 9.30am to 1.30pm this Friday.

"Farmers are the boots on the ground. They are the ones who put food on the table and support our major export industries, but also they’re the ones who can deliver the vital transition to sustainability.

"However, they need to be given the right tools and opportunities. We need to secure family farm incomes and pay our farmers to deliver on both our food security and sustainability.

"Farming is more than just a livelihood, it is a rich part of our history and even played a pivotal role in shaping the Irish landscape," said MEP Kelly, who leads Fine Gael in the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, MEP Muresan from Romania said that the EPP wants to modernise agriculture and make it more sustainable.

"The EPP4Farmers event in Carlow will bring together EPP members, farmers and representatives of agricultural associations to have a closer look on how to support agriculture and European farmers, while still being sustainable and protecting our natural areas," he said.

Speakers

Among the speakers are Irish Farmers Association deputy president Alice Doyle, director of Meat Industry Ireland Dale Crammond and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon.

For a full list of speakers and event details, see here.