Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Common Agricultural Policy and Young Farmers: Engagement with Macra na Feirme

Photo of Victor BoyhanVictor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am, and always have been, impressed by Mr. Keane and the Macra na Feirme organisation. Young farmers are in really good hands with the likes of him and his team, and I do not say that in any other way than that which I mean. They are professional, slick and progressive and are on the message and on the money. That is not just me saying that; other people have said it to me. I know from the level of contributions they have made, having engaged with this committee since I have been a member, that they are highly focused and professional and they make really good presentations. I want them to convey that to their broader executive because it is an important vote of confidence. It is something I have observed within their organisation and it is worth saying.

I took the time earlier to print and examine their draft submissions to the CAP strategic plan 2023-2027 and I noted the professional nature of the document, how it is laid out, the objectives, the key messages and the summaries. It is slick and professional and it is really good for young farmers that they have people who are advocating so strongly for them.

I read Macra na Feirme's statement to the committee, which was submitted and circulated earlier. We have taken on board, and it has been well covered by Deputy Carthy, the issue of succession pathways, the land mobility services, the forgotten farmers, who are a particularly important cohort, the financial instruments and supports, the start-up grants and the eco systems, which I will focus on for a moment because they are important. There is much talk about them and there is support for them not only in Europe, in the context of the European Green Deal, and nationally among the tripartite coalition Government. The reality is that the Green Party is in power and it is an advocate. There is very much a green agenda - I say that in a positive way - among the Government and we need to tap into and maximise the potential and supports for that.

There are the seven strands of eco-schemes. I do not need to set that out for our guests, given they are at that business every day and know it well. In their submission, the witnesses state they would like to see further increases in the integrated hedgerow management measure, and I fully agree with and support that. We have not quite seen that in CAP. Good hedgerow management should be a key feature of CAP and it is something I would like our guests to tease out in more detail. It makes absolute sense. There have been big issues with carbon research and all those areas, and it is a hot topic. Will our guests tease that out?

The reduction of the age of first calving is a reasonable request and it makes sense. As for the increased number of days of pasture, we have an ideal climate, and for many farmers who outwinter cattle or who could do so for a longer period, that would also make sense and would be good news for them. I have said so many times at meetings of this committee that I know sections of the west of Ireland where cattle are outwintered all year round successfully and they are in top condition. They do not call many vets and their cattle are sought after. They would not call themselves organic farmers but rather practical farmers, and they have developed a system that works for them. While there might be some controversy about ring feeders, moving around the ground, inspectors and so on, they are successful at what they do. They manage it well and they have healthy systems.

How can we tease out these eco systems and maximise them? How can we tap in and recognise that farmers are both custodians of the land and business people? Sometimes people forget that, but it is right and there is a natural synergy between them. What more can we do in the context of good hedgerow management? In the hedgerow appraisal system, a survey was carried out by Neil Foulkes, Janice Fuller and Declan Little, with whom our guests may be familiar. There is much substance in what they say. The eco systems are the way to go but how can we maximise that?

Finally, in the context of the CAP strategic plan, our guests spoke about agriculture initiatives such as further training, innovation and learning modules for young farmers, particularly in a practical way, given that many young farmers work on the farm too. How is that done in such a way that works around their ability to work and farm? Are there new initiatives or models in that area our guests would like us to pursue?

I thank them for their presentation.

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