'80 cows should be able to make a living'

Pat McCormack’s election to succeed John Comer as ICMSA’s 12th president became inevitable as 2017 wore on.

Indeed, some saw McCormack as the heir to Jackie Cahill as long as six years ago, but he admits he wasn’t ready.

“I had been dairy chairman for two years, but had not served on the other committees,” he says.

“I learned a lot from being on the beef, farm services and farm business committees. You cannot underestimate what goes on in John Feely House at committee level.

“The same goes for county executive meetings around the country. You get to meet the members one to one and hear about the issues – there’s no substitute. At the AGM last year, there was only one name in the audience that I had trouble with when chairing.”

Style of leadership

“I see myself as leading a team. There are 101 people on council, all elected by members in their area to be leaders.”

Two of the new chairs, Denis Drennan and Shane O’Loughlin, are only a year older than their new president, who, at 40 is surely the youngest president of a national farming organisation in the modern era. “We have a great geographical spread as well – Cavan (deputy president Lorcan McCabe) Wicklow (O’Loughlin), Kilkenny (Drennan), Sligo (Des Morrison) and Limerick (dairy chair Ger Quain).

McCormack became steeped in the organisation when accompanying neighbour Sean Kelly, ICMSA president in the 1980s, to meetings.

“He made me a delegate because he was moving on in years. He saw a driver to take him in and out to Thurles. We had some great chats on the road, and some great debates with Jackie Cahill in Thurles. I learned pretty fast.”

Milk price and income stability

“The good milk prices of 2017 were built around an outstanding, but an unusual, butter price. I would hope that skim milk powder prices would move on.

“There is an obligation on Commissioner Phil Hogan to be responsible. Powder intervention must exist at at a reasonable volume and trigger price.

“The voluntary reduction scheme, of which John Comer was the main advocate in this country, worked quite well. It needs to be looked at as a permanent tool, but always on a voluntary basis.

“After that, our government needs to step up. The farm deposit scheme is a crucial policy for ICMSA. It can help provide income stability on farms even as prices fluctuate.”

Co-ops

“You would have to acknowledge that no milk was spilled, although there were some tight scares. There is a lot of co-operation between processors.

“The future needs of producers are being recognised, with investment ongoing and planned. In terms of rationalisation, Wexford, Newmarket and Donegal have been subsumed into other co-ops in recent years, but farmers will always evaluate processor performance primarily on milk price. Some of the smaller co-ops have been paying the best prices.”

Carbon tax

“We had 30 years of quota restrictions, and there can’t be environmental restrictions just lumped on the sector now.

“Because it’s agriculture, agriculture, agriculture in this economy, we don’t have an easy way of diluting emissions, but we are the most efficient dairy producers in the northern hemisphere. Remember, the carbon footprint of beef coming from the dairy herd is half that of beef from sucklers.

“If you move outside the Pale, the local rural economy still relies on agriculture. Farm investment is the driver, and a carbon tax would undermine all that.”

Origin Green

“Origin Green has attracted a lot of attention around Europe. Farmers don’t welcome another inspection, but I have met members who said that when a cross-compliance inspection occurred, they were glad they had passed a Bord Bia inspection, it gave them confidence everything was in order.

“The wagon has only got moving, and hopefully it will deliver a premium payment to farmers from the marketplace over time. As we reach a point where all milk is in the scheme, that must happen.”

Pat McCormack