Truth be told, the minutiae of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) discussions taking place in Brussels at the moment, are about as interesting to me as watching paint dry.
The only show in town is the debate over funding. And, to all intents and purposes, that issue was settled months ago… or was it?
Setting out grand plans in Brussels is one thing, interpreting them at member state level is something else entirely.
French autonomy on CAP
The French have a history of driving a coach and horses through CAP directives and regulations when it suits them. And rightly so, in my opinion!
It can never be said that French governments of any hue were ever found wanting when the future of that country’s farming industry was deemed to be in the melting pot. And Ireland, in all honesty, should take a leaf out of this book.
For the record, I am not calling on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to starting bending or breaking the rules… heaven forbid.
Rather I am mindful of the mood music coming from Brussels over recent years to the effect that member states should have more flexibility when it comes to supporting specific industries, if it is in the national interest to do so.
Irish production agriculture
Many would agree, I think, that production agriculture lies at the very heart of the Irish economy.
So the real question facing Charlie McConalogue as he returns from Brussels is this – how much additional money is the Irish government prepared to pump into production agriculture over the next seven years, in order to make the industry really fit for purpose?
This is the real question that the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) should be putting to the agriculture minister over the coming weeks.
No doubt the powers-that-be at Farm Centre in Bluebell have their sums already computed where this matter is concerned… or have they?
And if the minister baulks in any way, when this question is put to him, maybe then the IFA and the other farming organisations would have due cause to bring their troops out on to the streets.
Sucklers and tillage
Two sectors stand out as needing significant and additional support over the coming years: sucklers and tillage.
Both make more than valuable contributions to the Irish economy. It is important that this state of affairs remains the case.
Tillage is already recognised as being at the very heart of Ireland’s response to climate change, while our suckler farms play such an important part in maintaining the fabric of rural communities the length and breadth of Ireland.
Putting a specific value on these very significant economic, environmental and social contributions could prove difficult enough.
But this is not the point. The real issue at stake is that of coming up with a support package that is commensurate with this reality.