Bowing out on his own terms

By Matt Dempsey

Seldom has a retiring Minister received such national coverage.

Some may claim that agriculture is a sunset industry and that we should make way for the future of high tech and services. The truth is that both sectors have a totally valid place in a modern economy.

A sufficiency of food has bred a complacency about both security and quality. Farmers have been forced to accept ever-decreasing incomes, as others in the supply chains have been able to raise the prices of inputs to farmers and, at the same time, reduce the prices paid for farm products.

It is astonishing, in such an environment, that Joe Walsh as Minister was able to retain the respect of farmers and their organisations while also being able to negotiate at Cabinet level in Dublin and at Council level in Brussels.

His passing out of the Agricultural political maelstrom coincides with the departure of Franz Fischler as Commissioner.

Both were dealt a hand that we had not seen before: pressures to fundamentally change the Common Agricultural Policy for both external trade reasons and internal political and environmental imperatives.

How good is this outcome after the initial MacSharry reform in the early 90s, the aborted Agenda 2000 package and the fundamental Fischler package?

For the majority of active farmers, the package of historically-based decoupled payments is probably as favourable an outcome as it was possible to achieve.

For dairy farmers and those renting out land, the outcome is less satisfactory, while we still have to wait for the final sugar beet solution. The assessment externally has to be that Joe Walsh presided over the emergence of a coherent EU agricultural policy.

Internally, he delivered on a promise to set up an administrative payments system that was unequalled in Europe, and he maintained agriculture at the centre of the national stage.

At Cabinet level, we can only assume that his easy empathy with Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy delivered, in a time of national budgetary surpluses, some crumbs for farming. Probably his least recognised measure, but one that had the most impact at individual farm level, was the rescuing of the entire over-30-month cattle market at the height of the second BSE panic in the late winter of 2000 and spring of 2001.

His great advantage as a Minister was that he was so obviously for the sector and committed to its well being.

This inherent knowledge, as well as sound judgement, ensured that few serious mistakes were made. His handling of the Foot and Mouth episode typified the use of that judgement - especially when contrasted with the shambles in Britain. He leaves behind an industry and a sector facing further serious changes. The WTO negotiations have to be completed, even though the overall direction is relatively clear.

He could not hold back the internationalisation of European agriculture but, with Commissioner Fischler, has succeeded in at least safeguarding the direct payments. He has also overseen the emergence of a food industry that is increasingly in touch with markets that are willing and able to pay for quality.

Overall, it's a legacy Joe Walsh can look back on with some pride. We can only wish him well for the future.