Whether by intent or purely as a matter of evolving circumstance, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has just handed the Food Vision Tillage Group a ‘go-to’ headline recommendation.
It comes in the form of the following statement: Put more money into the Straw Incorporation Measure.
According to the IFA’s own figures, the additional budget needed to deal with a 70,000ha scheme – now on the cards for 2023 – comes in at €7.5 million.
And the timing for all of this couldn’t be more perfect. The vision group is set to come out with its draft report at the end of this month; agriculture minister, Charlie McConalgue says ‘thank-you, I am of a mind to include an enhanced straw incorporation measure in Budget 2024′.
And ‘Bob’s your uncle’, the money’s in the bag. Well, that’s the theory at least. But there is a bigger picture playing out here.
Tillage
I listened very intently to what Minister McConalogue had to say the night he recently addressed a meeting of farmers in Bellewstown, Co. Meath
Essentially, the thrust of his presentation can be distilled down to the following points. The Irish government can do nothing to change the core funding that is available through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
However, there is scope for additional national funds to be targeted at what would be defined as ‘Tier 2’ projects.
On at least two occasions during his visit to Bellewstown, the minister basically said ‘I want to hear your ideas’.
So all we need to do is bolster the existing suite of Tier 2 projects significantly – Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) etc. – and come with more, as required.
What a mouth-watering prospect for anyone involved with an Irish farm organisation and indeed in tillage. It really is that simple.
Budget
It must also be pointed out that all of this is taking place against the backdrop of a 2023 national budget surplus for Ireland coming in at €56 billion. This figure rises to €70 billion, if Google has to write a cheque to the Irish exchequer.
So let’s be conservative and take the lower figure. If just 2% of the €56 billion was to be earmarked for agriculture, just think of what could be done with it.
This figure works out at a pretty staggering €1.2 billion.
So it’s time to get the thinking caps on. Summer is here; it won’t take long for September to roll around, by which time the pressure will be really on to get Budget 2024.
This really is Irish agriculture’s big opportunity. The current government has money to spend. The respective farming bodies must get their acts together now.
We know what the big picture is – all of agriculture must be put on a sustainable footing for the future.
In my opinion, the story of Irish agriculture driving conservation and environment-related change has been done to death. What farmers really need is the money in their pockets to make all of this work.