The Dealer took to the Donegal Davos, otherwise known as the MacGill Summer School, in Glenties at the weekend to contemplate the state of the world.

Fulfilling a lifetime ambition, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue addressed the assembled delegates on global food security. There was clearly a warm welcome for the minister as he addressed a broad range of questions from Ireland’s competitive advantage in beef and dairy, to the future outlook for donkeys in Ireland. One comment from the floor noted that a good measure of how well the Minister for Agriculture is performing is the extent to which farmers are complaining.

“And they are not complaining minister, so well done on doing such a good job,” the delegate concluded. The Dealer wonders if the minister was given a good report card or have farmers been given a poor report card by that comment?