Agri-food sector deserves support

Thousands have marched in Cavan and Fermanagh over the last two weeks, in worthy displays of support for the Quinn Group and the 5,500 jobs in provides in Ireland. It is hugely important in this area… as is the farming sector; both generate many jobs in a part of the country where there is not a lot of employment choice. The Quinn Group deserves our support. So do the farmers. The agri-food sector is not just important in simple economic terms either - though its strength in that area cannot be denied (see box below detailing the figures involved) - it operates to the highest standards of animal welfare and food hygiene and it cares for the rural environment. The people who raise the animals that provide the meat on our tables, who tend the crops that we eat, and whose dairy herds produce the milk we could not live without are experienced professionals who run serious businesses from one end of the country to another. In common with other businesses, and with the rest of the population, they're having a tough time as 2010 eases into a late spring. There are many challenges but the farmers of Cavan and the rest of Ireland have proven their innovative approach can work, so long as we the consumers support them. Last autumn the IFA, with the FBD Trust, the Farmers Journal, Teagasc and the agri-food industry organised an economic forum of Irish farming and food industry leaders, which produced a report titled, Harnessing Farming - Food and the Green Economy, a Smart Route to Recovery. It is an optimistic document that summarises the short-term challenges facing Irish farming, identifies opportunities and suggests plans of action. One of the more interesting parts of the report is the one dealing with 'Driving business and creating jobs in the rural economy'. Some of the things it spells out are already obvious, but it's no harm to repeat them: Ireland has a vibrant rural economy, within which agriculture is the biggest industry; jobs will come from supporting primary producers who provide the raw material for the export sector; the local market and inward tourism provide opportunities for food producers; and the entrepreneurial expertise in the farming and agri-business SMEs sector will be required when the upturn comes. Two of the best reasons for supporting farming are its potential as a 'springboard for recovery', and under the heading of 'growing through excellence in food, tourism, the green economy and marketing', as the Harnessing Farming report puts it. Adverse market conditions can often be the spur for industries and companies to stand up and respond to these forces, and there are high returns on investment in knowledge capital and knowledge transfer in the bio-economy, with the potential to raise more, the report finds. There is also a strong link between the landscape and tourism, as the image of Ireland and its food are linked - after price the most important factor in tourism is landscape. The point is that agriculture has enormous potential. It is a home-grown industry that exports far more than it imports and it will reward investment from the public purse and support from us all.