Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will meet the farm organisations next Wednesday 2 March to discuss issues of contention in the agriculture industry, The Dealer has been reliably informed.

While a specific agenda for the meeting has yet to be communicated to farm leaders, the Government’s position on the radical land rewetting proposals from Brussels, as outlined in Noel Bardon’s front-page story, will surely make the playlist.

Moreover, the likelihood of a milk quota in all but name flowing from the Food Vision Dairy Group – or Minister McConalogue’s mudguard as members have playfully termed the gathering – will certainly be raised with the Fine Gael leader.

Might an appeal for clemency on behalf of Big Phil Hogan be floated with Leo by the former Commissioner’s farming friends? “Unlikely”, was the general consensus.