First 100 days: what has the Government delivered for farmers?

The CAP budget, protection for grass-fed beef, TB eradication and land rewetting are some of the contentious issues in farming this year.

In their first 100 days in Government, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party have made good on some of the promises made in the programme for government.

In that document, the Government said “maintaining the CAP budget is our top priority in negotiations”.

In July, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that the CAP budget had been maintained, with figures from the Irish Farmers Journal showing that Irish farmers will receive €10.73bn over the next seven years, compared with €10.68bn in the years 2014 to 2020.

The programme for government promised support for the beef sector in the form of protected geographical indicator (PGI) status for Irish grass-fed beef. Last month, the Department of Agriculture launched an opposition procedure for its PGI standard, before it submits the PGI to the EU.

The move has generated fiery debate among farmers, with groups fiercely opposed to some of the standard. It has attracted 22 oppositions and some changes will be made to the PGI standard as a result.

The Government also promised that the Beef Market Taskforce would implement the agreement reached in September of 2019 on the beef sector. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue chaired his first meeting of the taskforce on 23 September but there will be many more before the beef sector’s issues are ironed out.

The Government said it would “work with dairy farmers and other stakeholders through the dairy forum to consider emerging challenges and continue to focus on developing new markets”.

Last week, the minister chaired his first meeting of the forum, which looked at the milk market situation, access to finance and there was also an update on the agri-food strategy to 2030.

The Government said it would introduce the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill 2020 into the Dáil within 100 days.

Launched this week, it will see five-year carbon budgets for each sector, including agriculture. This will set maximum emissions per sector.

As the Irish Farmers Journal revealed last week, methane from livestock is to be given special treatment in the bill.

Another promise in the programme for government was that the rewetting of carbon rich soils would be incentivised. In July, the Irish Farmers Journal revealed that the Department of Agriculture was poised to launch a peatland rewetting scheme this year and in August the Department launched a call seeking locally-led proposals for the scheme.

Counties Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath are to be targeted under the scheme.

In relation to TB eradication, the Government said it would introduce a 2030 eradication strategy for the disease.

While the strategy has not been published in full to date, the Department of Agriculture has sent all farmers with cattle personalised herd test history statements and reports.

These reports tell farmers how their herds are classified, with C10 status meaning a herd is clear of TB for 10 years or more and C1 status meaning the herd is clear of TB for one year. Minister McConalogue last week pledged to give the draft TB strategy to farm organisations and hold one-to-one meetings with them before the end of October.

A review of the forestry appeals process was promised in the programme for government. The Department has proposed an amendment to the Agriculture Appeals Act to align the forestry licensing and appeals processes with the planning processes.

Specifically for agriculture, the Government said it would “publish a roadmap with specific targets and actions” in relation to soil health and nutrient management within its first 100 days. Such a road map has not been published.

Ministers

Outside of policy, in the Government’s first 100 days it appointed three Ministers for Agriculture.

Barry Cowen was dismissed after 17 days in office. Dara Calleary resigned on the back of his attendance at the now infamous Golfgate dinner in Clifden after just 38 days in the role and Charlie McConalogue was appointed on 2 September.