The Minister for Agriculture has voiced his concerns over policies created by the health and environment divisions of the European Commission that directly affect farming.
Minister Martin Heydon made the comment while speaking at the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) AGM in Portlaoise on Friday, in which he disagreed with measures that limit food production.
DG Agri is the directorate responsible for EU policy on agriculture and rural development, while DG Sante controls health and food safety and DG ENV manages environmental protection and citizens’ quality of life.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon addressing the Irish Grain Growers Group AGM. / James Hanly
Responding to a question from the floor, Minister Heydon said that he does not support policies that result in less food being produced.
“The very EU regulations that people complain about - that creates frustration for us as farmers - is also the reason, I believe, why we shouldn’t be having policy across Europe that means we’re producing less food,” he said.
Policy
In addition, Heydon said that the new European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen understands this issue facing farmers.
“As Minister of Agriculture, the things that worry me the most coming out of Europe is not what comes out of DG Agri, it’s the policies that come out of DG ENV, which is the environment side, and DG Sante, the health side, because they make big decisions that directly impact our food production system but isn’t necessarily good for it.”
Gear box
Also in the meeting, the Minister used an analogy to compare the Irish agriculture sector to a car’s gearbox; saying that each system must be functioning for the car to move.
In response, a tillage farmer from the crowd said: “Your analogy of a gearbox was probably apt because there’s a good few growers that feel that they are the reverse in the gearbox, rather than going forward.”
Meanwhile, departing IGGG chair Bobby Miller said that the tillage sector is “under attack”.
“We are a positive group; we want to remain positive for the group. We are a sector under attack in many aspects: the land market, imports, etc. But we must be positive and we must sell our story as group.”
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The Minister for Agriculture has voiced his concerns over policies created by the health and environment divisions of the European Commission that directly affect farming.
Minister Martin Heydon made the comment while speaking at the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) AGM in Portlaoise on Friday, in which he disagreed with measures that limit food production.
DG Agri is the directorate responsible for EU policy on agriculture and rural development, while DG Sante controls health and food safety and DG ENV manages environmental protection and citizens’ quality of life.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon addressing the Irish Grain Growers Group AGM. / James Hanly
Responding to a question from the floor, Minister Heydon said that he does not support policies that result in less food being produced.
“The very EU regulations that people complain about - that creates frustration for us as farmers - is also the reason, I believe, why we shouldn’t be having policy across Europe that means we’re producing less food,” he said.
Policy
In addition, Heydon said that the new European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen understands this issue facing farmers.
“As Minister of Agriculture, the things that worry me the most coming out of Europe is not what comes out of DG Agri, it’s the policies that come out of DG ENV, which is the environment side, and DG Sante, the health side, because they make big decisions that directly impact our food production system but isn’t necessarily good for it.”
Gear box
Also in the meeting, the Minister used an analogy to compare the Irish agriculture sector to a car’s gearbox; saying that each system must be functioning for the car to move.
In response, a tillage farmer from the crowd said: “Your analogy of a gearbox was probably apt because there’s a good few growers that feel that they are the reverse in the gearbox, rather than going forward.”
Meanwhile, departing IGGG chair Bobby Miller said that the tillage sector is “under attack”.
“We are a positive group; we want to remain positive for the group. We are a sector under attack in many aspects: the land market, imports, etc. But we must be positive and we must sell our story as group.”
Read more
€32m payments under Tillage and Horticulture Support Scheme issued
IGGG encourages commissioner to act on double standards
'We cannot let this report gather dust' - IGGG on Food Vision
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