Brendan Smith: Urges Proper Resourcing for Post-27 CAP
Brendan Smith said the dispute between farmers and Borbilla must be resolved immediately and that the CAP post-27 must be properly resourced. He warned that Ireland's hard-earned food export markets and high standards in animal husbandry and food production could be damaged if issues are not addressed.
Immediate industry risks
Brendan Smith emphasised the urgency of resolving the ongoing dispute between farmers and Borbilla, saying it must be settled immediately to protect the good standing of the food industry worldwide. He echoed concerns about the potential reputational and market risks to food exports if the dispute continues.
CAP funding and priorities
Smith argued that finalising the multi-annual financial framework during Ireland's EU Presidency makes proper resourcing of the Common Agricultural Policy essential. He described the CAP as vital both for ensuring a secure supply of safe food for European citizens and as essential income support for farmers, and warned that the cap post-27 must be properly resourced.
Farmers' costs and regulatory burdens
He highlighted defending the derogation, addressing blue tongue, and the burden of assurance schemes as pressing issues for farmers. Smith noted these schemes and impositions represent real costs and administrative burdens that need attention alongside budgetary negotiations.
Global supply chains and market access
Smith stressed the complexity of global supply chains and the need to be mindful of the messages sent to buyers abroad. He underlined that contingency of supply and buyer terms influence market access, and that Ireland's success in penetrating markets has been built on high-quality dairy, beef, poultry and fish. He also referenced Food Harvest 2020 as the initial strategic roadmap for developing the food industry.
Engagement with sector organisations
Brendan Smith encouraged a constructive dialogue, urging organisations to respond positively to the correspondence issued by the Minister. He expressed the view that a timely, cooperative response could help resolve issues quickly and protect export markets and standards.
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Thank you, Cancorda. Taoiseach, you quite rightly referred in your response to the massive scale of our food exports. Those food export markets have been hard-earned. There has been massive investment by the state over the decades and by farmers in building up a top-class, world-standard food industry. We have animal husbandry to the highest standard. We have food production to the highest standard. That's why we successfully have so many markets right throughout the world. As Deputy Moynihan said, there is a very urgent issue to be resolved, and that's the ongoing dispute between farmers and Borbilla. It must be resolved immediately because we want the good standing of our industry worldwide not to be damaged in any way. Taoiseach, as you know, one of the most important things during Ireland's President of the European Union is finalisation of the multi-annual financial framework. As we all know, the Common Agricultural Policy is essential to ensure a secure supply of safe food for the citizens of Europe and is also essential income support for farmers. That cap post-27 must be properly resourced. Deputy Ryan O'Brien. Thank you, O'Brien. The single biggest issue this year is cap. Beyond no illusions. When the dust settles on the current row, it's the cap. There are other issues, but it's the cap is the one that I'm most concerned about now. Protecting the derogation. Blue tongue. And also the various schemes, the assuring schemes, and the imposition, the burden that they represent for farmers. And I know Deputy Smith has raised this as well in terms of the... And he was involved in the first ever real major food plant harvest in 2020. Food harvest 2020 was the first major strategic document which set the road really in the roadmap for the development of the food industry. And so I think cap and the budget are key, but also the need to get into a dialogue pathway with the organisations. And that's... I would encourage the organisations to respond positively to the correspondence that the Minister issued today to them in respect of those issues. And in my view, that can happen quickly enough. And Deputy Smith, I think I've dealt with your issue without question. We have a top-class food industry. We've got to protect it. The issue, I would say, more generally, is that the multi... The global supply chain is key here. We're not an island on our own. It's complex. If we want to supply markets in Europe and people are buying our food from Europe, European companies or whatever, or Middle Eastern companies, Asian companies, they too will set terms that will govern the basis on which we sell them food. And very often, contingency of supply is one of those conditions. So this isn't simple. And we need to be careful of the message we're sending. Because so far, we've penetrated markets all over the world because of the quality of our food, quality of our dairy products, beef and poultry and fish. And we want to maintain that level of high-quality exports. exports. Thank you. Thank you.
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