John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I support the motion tabled by Deputy Michael Moynihan. It affords me an opportunity to say a few words on the CAP and the various areas of agriculture. Over the past year, farm incomes have increased reasonably. Farmers had a few bad years but they generally recognise that, over the past year, incomes have increased and that they are now in a better position than they were. Prices for various products have improved. As the Minister will be aware, many young farmers now want to stay on the land, perhaps because of the changes in the economic climate and building industry. This is a welcome boost for farming and the production of food generally. Over recent years, particularly this one, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of young farmers who want a qualification in agriculture.

I appreciate the support of the Minister for those in Wexford in ensuring a programme is up and running through Teagasc. Perhaps it is not the type of programme we envisaged at the start - it was intended that it would be run in a vocational school - but at least a course is now available following the intervention of the Minister and discussions with Teagasc. I thank the Minister for his intervention. I hope such courses will expand and that vocational colleges, other second level schools and third level schools, rather than just Teagasc colleges, will be able to run them. It is important that the system be opened up. I certainly welcome the course for Wexford.

Irish farmers are renowned internationally as food producers. They have constantly adapted to the changing demands of consumers. As a green island, Ireland produces food in a very environmentally friendly way and this ensures the existence of tremendous opportunities for farmers to sell their internationally renowned food products in Europe and farther afield. Having listened to the Minister a number of times on radio and television, I note he is very committed to implementing the measures under Harvest 2020. I hope this will ensure the existence of other opportunities for farmers.

Coming from Wexford and being familiar with Cork, from which the Minister comes and which has been regarded as the home of agriculture and one of the main food-producing counties, it is important to recognise the role farmers are playing not only in conventional farming but also in other types of farming. In my neck of the woods, there is strawberry-growing and cheesemaking. Many alternative products are being produced by farmers and this is the way to go for the future. I hope the Minister will encourage such developments. Strawberry-growing, for example, now extends from April until October or November. There are fewer producers but a longer season. I was at a function last week at which it was stated that Tesco is now, for the first time in many years, purchasing Wexford strawberries. It had not been buying them for a number of years. The change in this regard is welcome.

On CAP reform, Deputy Moynihan and I visited Brussels before the summer and met some senior officials there. They were rather secretive in many ways about what was to be included in the proposals for the CAP. However, we received the leaked CAP proposals for the period after 2013. They have caused some concern among farm organisations, the IFA in particular. In recent weeks, the latter has been in touch with all politicians expressing its concerns over the content of the leaked document. Perhaps the Minister will clear up today some of the concerns of farmers over the leaked document. I wonder whether the Commissioner leaked the document on purpose to obtain a reaction from EU member states and the Ministers. The Irish Minister will be in Brussels next week and I am sure he will be teasing out some of the issues about which farmers are concerned.

From discussions with officials, I noted they certainly implied there would be some minimal changes and perhaps some dramatic ones also. They referred to "greening". Farmers must engage in a certain amount of greening but if one accounted for the manner in which Irish farmers produce their produce, mainly through a grass-based system in an environmentally friendly way, one would not be so sure that a major budgetary allocation for greening would be of any advantage to them. The farm organisations have raised the apparent major emphasis on greening with me and I am sure they have done so with other Members.

The leaked document refers to the single farm payment, the rural development programme and the emergency market support measures. The finalised proposals, which will require EU Commission approval, will be published in October 2011. Key elements of the leaked documents include the change to the single farm payment. The national envelope will be divided into a number of elements, which may include a basic payment, compulsory greening, with an associated figure of 30%, a voluntary payment, voluntary coupled payments for vulnerable sectors, a payment for young farmers, amounting to 2%, and a national reserve figure of 3%. Perhaps the Minister will talk us through this in his reply and outline what other areas he has discussed with his EU counterparts in recent weeks.

The timeline refers to the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The one benefit of this is that our Minister will be at the table throughout all the discussions. He will probably be very much to the forefront when we hold the Presidency. I am sure he will ensure Irish farmers are well protected. I appreciate there is and will be a difficulty with the finances. There are not only financial difficulties in Ireland but also throughout the European Union. Therefore, the Minister will not receive everything he is looking for but I am sure he will be fighting to ensure Irish farmers will be well protected on foot of any changes that occur on the implementation of CAP proposals.

We have been listening to debates on changes to the CAP since the MacSharry proposals. I suppose the next deal we will be talking about will be that of the Minister, Deputy Coveney. Farmers will be able to look back on his proposals in years to come, as they do on the MacSharry proposals, and say he did a good job for Ireland.

We have heard various farm organisations saying in recent weeks that the way to surmount some of Ireland's present difficulties is through the agriculture sector. Coming from an agricultural county, I believe there is a tremendous opportunity for the sector to expand, develop and enter other areas of production.

Deputy Moynihan touched on milk production. I know the Minister's hands are tied on this issue but because of the situation in 2009 and 2010 when there was not an overproduction of milk, farmers in Wexford and, I am sure, in other counties continued to produce milk this year. Now, they find they are over quota and this is causing severe problems. I have met small farmers who continue to produce milk for Wexford Creamery but who will not have cheque payments for the coming months. It is ridiculous that Europe and the United Kingdom are under quota but Ireland is over quota. I do not know how the Minister will work a miracle on this to have the quota considered a European one rather than an Irish one.

These farmers need help and support. They did not receive much help or support from Teagasc or the milk companies in recent months. Now, they are being warned that they must pull back, cull or milk once a day. They should have been receiving advice on this issue as far back as last Christmas but they were not well advised at that time. I appeal to the Minister to do what he can at EU level to ensure such farmers are not penalised to the extent they will be. Not alone will they be penalised by not being able to produce milk for the rest of the year but they will not have any income and they will find it very difficult to support their families. This is a major issue. It has landed on the Minister's desk and I have every faith that he will do his best.

This week, I read an article in the Teagasc magazine, Today's Farm, with the headline, "Quota Alert". What is suggested in the article would not be helpful to farmers. Teagasc should have been more proactive in helping and supporting farmers and in making them aware of the difficulties that may be coming down the line. In 2009 and 2010 this problem did not exist and farmers did not expect to have it in 2011. Unfortunately, it is with us. I support the motion tabled by Deputy Moynihan and I have every faith that the Minister will be at the coalface in the coming years ensuring Irish farmers and farm products will be well protected.

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