After what was one of the closest election battles in recent times, Tim Cullinan will become the 17th president of the IFA. He will be supported by Brian Rushe, who saw off stiff competition to become deputy president. The four regional chairs, two newly elected, will complete the new leadership team.

The six men will have a packed agenda when they take up their new roles in mid-January. Last week we learned of the European Commission’s new Green Deal strategy. Radical changes to the future direction of farm policy is being proposed within the deal – particularly in relation to the use of sprays, fertilisers and antibiotics on farms.

There is no doubt that the Commission sees CAP as the main tool to get farmers to toe the line in achieving the objective of the Green Deal – which is to make the EU carbon-neutral by 2050. Shaping the next CAP around this will see a fundamental shift in how support payments are targeted – and once again support for productive farmers looks most exposed.

Against this backdrop, there is clearly a need for the new IFA leadership to further develop the organisation’s CAP policy position. Demanding a fully funded budget and insisting on upward only convergence was fine for a point in time but that time has passed. Given the proposed changes, much more detailed consideration is required to ensure Irish farmers do not get left behind in CAP reform.

Alongside these radical reforms, key negotiations will also be taking place on the future EU-UK trading relationship. No country has more at stake than Ireland and no sector is more exposed than agriculture. In the context of Brexit, farmers will measure the value of the IFA on its ability to ensure that, whatever the outcome of next year’s trade negotiations, both the Commission and Government deliver on their commitment to protect farm incomes.

The complexity of taking on CAP and Brexit is added to by the need to continuously defend against attacks from vested interest groups often seeking to undermine farmers on environmental and welfare standards, and/or the nutritional benefits of Irish beef and dairy products.

Outgoing president Joe Healy managed to bring stability to the IFA during his tenure but financial challenges remain

In his election campaign, Tim Cullinan championed the need for change in the organisation. Given the challenges, perhaps one change would be to look at tooling up the organisation in relation to internal expertise on environmental science and food nutrition.

Such a move would have to be considered in the context of the organisation’s financial position. Outgoing president Joe Healy managed to bring much-needed stability to the IFA during his tenure but financial challenges remain. The most recent accounts, until the end of March 2019, show an operating deficit of €250,000.

The IFA is no different to any organisation or business. It must have a viable business model to ensure that it is in a position to deliver on its core objective: to lobby and campaign for improved conditions and incomes for farm families. To deliver on this the organisation needs a clear plan as to how it will adjust its business model to reflect the financial environment in which it is now operating.

National council recently approved an increase in the annual membership fee. While the move will help boost revenues, getting to a financially viable position will also require a focus on the cost structure. However, a strong balance sheet should allow for this to be implemented in a structured way that does not impact on providing strong representation. Tim Cullinan should be well positioned to lead this agenda having served as IFA treasurer and given his extensive business experience.

Some will of course take a degree of pleasure in the financial challenges facing the IFA. However, those who do ignore the fact that IFA is an organisation led by farmers for the benefit of farmers.

While far from a perfect structure, it is worth highlighting that the IFA is the only major farm organisation within Europe where the ordinary membership still directly elect the president.

The level of transparency in this regard was on show for all to see at the election count this week. Those who wish to undermine the organisation should perhaps look to the effectiveness, delivery and transparency of some of the alternatives that have emerged in recent times.

Meanwhile, we should acknowledge the role of John Coughlan and Angus Woods in contesting the presidential election and Thomas Cooney in the deputy race. The level of support that each received shows the high regard in which they are held among the membership of the organisation.

Dairy: making the most of competitive advantages

Last Friday’s Grassland Farmer of the Year awards was a celebration of our one true competitive advantage: the ability to grow high-quality and low-cost protein in the form of grass.

Each of the 13 farmers nominated are winners in their own right. Dairy farmer Bryan Daniels won the sustainability category and the overall award. Bryan grows high quantities of grass with limited chemical nitrogen input. On average, he spread 167kg of nitrogen per hectare in 2019.

Time and again we see farmers that are brilliant at the basics excel. In Bryan’ case, the basics is soil fertility. Each field is soil-sampled every two years and whatever is lacking is corrected. The vast majority of the farm is at optimum level for pH, phosphorus and potassium. Contrast this with the national average where 90% of fields sampled are lacking in one or more element.

Growing high quantities of grass with low levels of chemical nitrogen is the challenge facing all grassland farmers. It’s good to see the winner of this competition taking a lead.

Interestingly, as Pat Dillon pointed out at the ceremony, the 2017, 2018 and 2019 winners are past recipients of the Macra Young Farmer of the Year award. It goes to show the value of farmer competitions to nurture and develop talent. Congratulations to all involved. You can read more about it here.

Forestry: a sector in crisis

These should be good times for forestry. The Taoiseach and Minister Richard Bruton have highlighted their commitment to annual afforestation of 8,000ha, while the private sector – mainly farmers – are applying for felling licences. Yet, forestry is in crisis. Afforestation achieved up to the end of November was 3,194ha.

“Forestry licences continue to be issued, albeit at a slower rate than would be expected,” Minister Creed assured Deputy Carol Nolan in the Dáil last week, but even this limp statement has been contradicted by Mark McCauley, director of Forest Industries Ireland: “Licence approvals for planting and felling have effectively ceased since last August.”

All licence applications are screened by the Department for Appropriate Assessment (AA) under the Habitats Directive. Blockage to issuing licences is due to “the statutory requirement to screen for potentially significant effects on natura sites”, as pointed out in the recent forestry review by Jim Mackinnon. The screening has featured increasingly in blanket objections while “the problems are exacerbated by a lack of confidence among inspectors around carrying out AAs,” he said. He identified 1,000 applications awaiting approval.

Meanwhile, as the Department Appeals Committee is assessing objections, private planting and harvesting operations have ground to a halt while Coillte has already cancelled this month’s timber auction with a second in January also threatened.

Brexit: six weeks until latest deadline

UK prime minister Boris Johnson.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has the parliamentary majority he requires to pass his withdrawal agreement. It puts the UK on track to leave the EU on 31 January, at which point an 11-month transition phase will begin. The added twist is Johnson’s decision to write into law that the transition period cannot be extended. It is another high-risk strategy. While aimed at putting pressure on the EU, it puts a no-deal Brexit back on the agenda.

Greetings: Happy Christmas to you all

Next week, the Irish Farmers Journal will be in shops on Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24 December. Our New Year’s edition will be available as normal in shops on Thursday 2 January. Meanwhile, farmersjoural.ie will be updated daily over the Christmas period. I would like thank all of our readers and clients for their continued support. From all the team in the Irish Farmers Journal and Irish Country Living, we wish you a very happy and safe Christmas.