Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A number of the issues I wanted to discuss have already been mentioned and I look forward to the answers. I am from the midlands where we do not have big holdings in any sector. When I was a young lad, and up to 20 years ago, nearly every farm was a mixed farm. Farmers will get no cheaper feed, whether on their own dining tables or for feeding the stock, than growing their own.

It was farmers who made the conscious decision to move more towards livestock and dairy farming and away from tillage farming. It does not make sense. There is an argument every time one meets a dairy, suckler or beef farmer that, for example, Joe down the road is only getting €130 a tonne for his grain yet another farmer is buying it back in to feed the cattle at €250 or whatever. Why did farmers make that conscious decision and walk away? How do the witnesses propose getting them back? The witnesses mentioned quality assurance and guaranteed prices. If in the morning there was a major seachange, I cannot see those farmers going back. The land capacity is not there for the people who stuck with the tillage or the dedicated tillage farmer to expand. What do the witnesses suggest would be the best way of increasing the tonnage under those circumstances?

The grain sector got a hammering last year and again this year in our area. Perhaps the climate is a little bit better down south. I drive out a country road every day to get to my house. A neighbour drove a combine harvester into a 14-acre field last Saturday fortnight and he finished cutting last Monday. That combine sat in the field for about three days shy of three weeks. If the witnesses got everything they are looking for here today with regard to price and quality assurance, they will find it very hard to get the man to whom I referred to sow grain again next year. How could such a situation be overcome? None of us is in control of the climate. It is a major issue. The witnesses are talking about enhancing, improving and increasing tonnage or output when that barrier is there and has been there for two years running. There are many lads who will not come back next year irrespective of price. How do the witnesses see that affecting the bigger picture going forward?