There is something not working in the grain market. All commodities have recovered in price or, in the case of beef, risen to new levels.
But with new tariffs on US grain placed by China, the world price-setting Chicago market has been on a path of continuous decline. The price prospects have been further dented by the likely freeing up of exports from Ukraine and Russia, the largest wheat exporters in the world.
As European food output declines, a trend that is also happening in Ireland, our policymakers should be looking at the factors that are operating against European and Irish growers.
The key area is animal feed. Between soya and corn gluten as protein sources and maize as an energy source, Europe is importing over 40 million tonnes per year.
This is produced with the aid of agri-chemicals which are banned in Europe and genetic technology which is also banned. Yet European policymakers have no hesitation in allowing food-producing animals to be fed with these products which are not available to EU producers and which are able to undercut European growers.
Imagine how EU animal production would evolve if GM grain, maize and soya were not allowed to be fed to animals producing meat and milk for the EU market.
The EU already bans hormones from being given to pigs, beef and dairy cattle. It also bans the importation of products produced with these stimulants.
There would be a consistency in banning animal feed that does not meet EU production standards.
A stance by the EU along these lines would also be a significant discussion point, in the still-to-be-ratified Mercosur deal. It is worth reminding ourselves that the intensification of Dutch agriculture and its subsequent environmental problems were caused by the massive duty and levy-free importation of tapioca for energy from their former East Indies colonies and soya for protein from the US.
How much would Dutch farming have grown, in a more genuinely sustainable way, if they were confined to using feedstuffs produced in Europe? During the time of explosive Dutch growth, there were no real differences around the regulatory conditions applied in different parts of the world.
Now there are both as regards varying access to active ingredients in agri-chemicals as well as GM being widespread in our suppliers’ products but being banned within Europe, apart from one tiny exception in Spain.
There is something not working in the grain market. All commodities have recovered in price or, in the case of beef, risen to new levels.
But with new tariffs on US grain placed by China, the world price-setting Chicago market has been on a path of continuous decline. The price prospects have been further dented by the likely freeing up of exports from Ukraine and Russia, the largest wheat exporters in the world.
As European food output declines, a trend that is also happening in Ireland, our policymakers should be looking at the factors that are operating against European and Irish growers.
The key area is animal feed. Between soya and corn gluten as protein sources and maize as an energy source, Europe is importing over 40 million tonnes per year.
This is produced with the aid of agri-chemicals which are banned in Europe and genetic technology which is also banned. Yet European policymakers have no hesitation in allowing food-producing animals to be fed with these products which are not available to EU producers and which are able to undercut European growers.
Imagine how EU animal production would evolve if GM grain, maize and soya were not allowed to be fed to animals producing meat and milk for the EU market.
The EU already bans hormones from being given to pigs, beef and dairy cattle. It also bans the importation of products produced with these stimulants.
There would be a consistency in banning animal feed that does not meet EU production standards.
A stance by the EU along these lines would also be a significant discussion point, in the still-to-be-ratified Mercosur deal. It is worth reminding ourselves that the intensification of Dutch agriculture and its subsequent environmental problems were caused by the massive duty and levy-free importation of tapioca for energy from their former East Indies colonies and soya for protein from the US.
How much would Dutch farming have grown, in a more genuinely sustainable way, if they were confined to using feedstuffs produced in Europe? During the time of explosive Dutch growth, there were no real differences around the regulatory conditions applied in different parts of the world.
Now there are both as regards varying access to active ingredients in agri-chemicals as well as GM being widespread in our suppliers’ products but being banned within Europe, apart from one tiny exception in Spain.
SHARING OPTIONS