The first meeting of the Food Vision Tillage Group is expected to take place in the coming weeks, according to the Grain Committee chair with the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Kieran McEvoy added that the appointment of Matt Dempsey, who is president of Tillage Industry Ireland, is an important development for tillage farmers.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, indicated late last month that a new group will be established which will report to the minister on the future development of Ireland’s crops sector.
“Matt Dempsey has spent many years working on behalf of Irish farmers,” McEvoy said.
“He has made a very valuable contribution to the work of Tillage Industry Ireland and is a long-standing tillage farmer in his own right.”
According to McEvoy the IFA has called on the minister to establish a specific grouping that would address the challenges facing the crops sector as far back as last November.
“We want to see the new grouping come forward with firm proposals that will help develop the scope of the tillage industry,” he added.
McEvoy has confirmed he will represent the IFA on the Food Vision Tillage Group and the association’s cereal policy executive, Max Potterton will also be involved in the group.
It is envisaged that the new body will meet for the first time before the end of this month and according to McEvoy there are a number of key challenges for the Food Vision Tillage Group to discuss and highlight to the minister.
“We saw a small increase in the scope of the tillage sector in 2022.
“But it took government investment to bring this about and there will be much discussion about this by members of the new body,” McEvoy said.
The IFA grain chair has also recognised the need for tillage farmers to be placed on a level playing field, when it comes to the rolling-out of the new nitrates regulations.
McEvoy said: “Fundamentally, this is all about ensuring that excess nutrients can be moved from livestock to tillage farms in the most effective way possible.
“In addition, tillage farmers must be allowed to secure the leased land they need to grow crops in a fair and equitable manner.
“This is not about one placing one sector of Irish agriculture at odds with the others. The core challenge centres on that of allowing Irish agriculture make best use of the organic manures and slurries that it produces.”
He said tillage farmers are ideally placed to make this happen.
According to McEvoy, the IFA is currently developing a comprehensive policy document on a number of key issues which will be presented at the first meeting of the Food Vision Tillage Group.
He also confirmed that the detail of this document will also be discussed in advance by IFA council members.