Mr. Bill Callanan:

It is a support for the arable sector. We have seen a 50,000 ha drop in overall arable production over the past six to eight years, primarily due to a transfer to dairy production on some of this land. It has, therefore, dual impacts in terms of a support for the sector coupled with the carbon benefit and the opportunity for improving management practice on farms incorporating straw, which are generally moving towards minimum tillage systems reducing diesel usage and returning nutrient. As we all know, fertiliser costs have gone up so straw is a more valuable product in terms of the nutrient content today than it was in previous years and was generally welcomed by the sector.