Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)

Others have spoken about the important issue of how we can increase our exports in order to bring more money into the country but there is also an area of agriculture that needs to be developed in places such as where I come from, where last year, according to figures I have, we used in the region of €9 million worth of fruit and vegetables. Myself and a few other people tried to establish how much of this produce was produced in the area and we could only conclude it was in the region of 5%. I know we will never be able to produce all our fruit and vegetables nor will we be growing grapefruit or oranges in County Roscommon but I do not think it is too ambitious to set a target of 50% of that €9 million to be produced locally. Some people like Pat Kenny on "The Frontline" would lead one to believe that it cannot be done but I am not a spokesman for Tesco like he is so I will say it can be done.

I know a man in Strokestown who with one acre of land is making a living for himself by growing fruit and vegetables and selling bags of potatoes and various different products in Strokestown on Fridays. I know another group of people called Tulsk Fruit and Veg who on 17 acres of land cater for two adults and two grown children, four employees. A 19 acre farm in Williamstown successfully makes a living out of growing fruit and vegetables. It can be done; one can make a living on a small farm.

The multiplier effect comes into play. Johnny the farmer produces cabbages and sells them. He will then have more money to get his house painted. He will employ a painter and that painter needs to eat and he buys some of his produce and the money goes around in the local economy, unlike now where it leaves after one whirl on the money roundabout.

For this to happen, we need actual, physical markets at which farmers can sell their produce. We do not have such a market in Roscommon nor in many areas around the country. County councils should be encouraged to develop such markets so people can sell their produce directly to consumers and cut out the middle man.

We need to change from the current system whereby the more land and animals a person has, the more money Europe will give him or her. That money should be used to help develop small family farms where more people can be employed and which produces a better product with higher standards. It will not solve all our problems but it would go a small way towards solving local problems. Exports are very important but the local economy must be developed because it has been forgotten.

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