Opinion
Last week saw the unveiling of important EU Commission policy documents - namely the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy.
"This strategy - were it to be enacted as an 'on-the-ground' policy - would have undeniable implications for the business of farming here."
"It is impossible to accurately forecast the price Irish dairy farmers will receive for the milk they send to their milk processor now."
Beef farmers are grappling with low prices. No one seems to have a workable solution. Do farmers need to 'move up' the supply chain?
"A protectionist approach to beef and dairy consumption - in any country and in any guise - is certainly not in Ireland's best interest."
"Many farmers and contractors are busy. It's an almost surreal sight, when set against the situation that many others now find themselves."
The long-anticipated IFA-commissioned report on the beef industry – compiled by Jim Power – was published last week.
Perhaps some of the most vitriolic of those attacks on the IFA (back then) were over-zealous or - dare we say it - ill-judged.
Farm organisations aspire to be all things to all people - be they 'active', full-time, part-time or - dare we say it - 'armchair' farmers.
Is some of this talk about cuts to future Irish CAP funding beyond 2021 being blown out of proportion? Is there a different perspective?
Just a few short days ago, AgriLand published an article detailing a stark proposal for farming from the President of the European Council.
Would a left-leaning government spell danger for farmers? One might well ask if farming is to the fore of Sinn Féin's concerns.
