BY TOMMY MOYLES
UNCERTAINTY in the agri-sector was one of the main topics of conversation at an event for MEP candidates at of the Carbery Group agm on Tuesday last. Largely a result of the ambiguity surrounding the future of the nitrates derogation, it was unsurprisingly on everyone’s mind.
Carbery Group chief executive Jason Hawkins said that the lack of clarity around policy is proving very frustrating for farmers.
‘Farmers are going to work in the morning and working month to month not knowing what the new regulation or policy might be. Yet we’re asking farmers to make investments to apply regulations and there isn’t a lot of clarity,’ he said.
‘Farmers will respond to supports and clear direction but there’s a lot of greyness around what this policy looks like. There seems to be a more stick than carrot approach from policy makers.’
Three candidates in the Ireland South European election accepted invitations to attend the event: Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher, Independent Ireland’s Eddie Punch, and Fine Gael’s John Mullins.
Mr Kelleher said that a united front was needed when it came to securing the future of the derogation.
Eddie Punch of Independent Ireland is a former general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA). He said the Irish dairy grass use makes it different to the forage and cereal based systems on Europe. ‘It’s not right to equate Irish farming systems with Europeans farming systems because we’re grass based. We recently got EU PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) recognition for our grass-fed beef which states that it is different to other systems on the continent.’
Ireland’s banking system also drew the ire of the candidates. ‘We don’t have enough competition. Irish banks are not operating on the basis of what I call an open market banking. We need to make it simpler for more banks to come into this market and take on the banks that we have,’ said Fine Gael’s John Mullins.
Mr Kelleher called the banking system ‘dysfunctional’. ‘We’re now running a €16bn agricultural industry on credit unions because our pillar banks which were supported and bailed out are still not lending.’
The future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and export of calves within the EU were among the issues raised by the chairmen of the four West Cork co-ops. As was farmer weariness over a perception as environmental villains when they have done a lot of work to reduce emissions already.
