Report is big on sound bites, short on substance
RICHARD
WHILE reading through the document on the ‘Future of the Tillage Sector in Ireland’, I was reminded of the Budget-day pantomimes played out during the boom years.
While the finance minister of the day was busy doling out the goodies, the poor opposition spokesman on finance reacted with the phrases ‘lacked vision, and ‘missed opportunity’. These are the terms that spring to mind while reading this document. A few points jumped out at me. ÷Glyphosate is a particularly useful chemical and the EU should hang its head in shame as it prevaricates over its future. However, is it so important to the viability of the Irish industry to justify top billing, especially with the caveat ‘until a viable alternative is available’? I don’t think so. ÷The recommendation to pursue sugar beet refining for poitín making has to be a joke that was left in by mistake. Would the poitín makers use 50 acres of beet between them? ÷We have a vegetable and potato industry with a ready-made home market that is being wiped out by exchange rate profiteering. But this report recommends an increase in protected crops… to go against a Dutch behemoth that subsidises gas heating? Again, really? ÷Adopt a ‘Fair Trade’ type logo — is that where we have gotten to? ÷Barley for distilling and organic produce are good existing outlets that need development for growth. But not even the most ardent advocate could see anything over a niche outlet for any of these lines. Do they really deserve nine separate recom- mendations between them? ÷The vast bulk of Irish cereals is destined for the animal-feed market. Fundamentally, we have a requirement of six million tonnes of animal feed per annum. We produce about two million tonnes per annum, the rest is imported. This is completely ignored in the report recommendations. We have millions of cows, millions of poultry, millions of pigs that need concentrate feed.
Ready markets for our produce is not our problem — getting paid enough for the product is the problem. We produce ‘Rolls Royce’ product in terms of adherence to EU rules and regulations and get paid according to the cheapest rubbish that’s available on the high seas. That’s what needs to be addressed, not a few trendy niches.