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A national plan for the tillage industry was
sought at the Teagasc tillage conference in Carlow recently.
Michael Hoey, a tillage farmer and owner of
Country
Crest, Dublin, said a united approach by all parties
with a vested interest in Irish agriculture from producer
to final consumer is needed to save the sector.
He told 500 tillage farmers attending the Teagasc
conference that the plan should incorporate all aspects in
the chain - from research and development to production and
marketers - and should meet the demands of the market.
It must aim to develop and grow sustainable
added value markets for what farmers produce, whether for
food or energy. Mr Hoey said the plan requires long-term vision,
mindful of the need to be a productive plan rather than relying
on quota and grants.
"Agriculture has always been the backbone of
the Irish economy and, by developing a national plan that
creates sustainable, green, real jobs, it can lead Ireland
to a stronger economy," he said.
Teagasc tillage specialist, Michael Hennessy
said economic survival for tillage farmers with low margins
necessitates scale to generate sufficient income. Share farming
offers land access where scale can be achieved at a sustainable
level.
It can also offer the advantages of longer term
lease without the fixed payments and similar flexibility of
conacre, while sharing some of the risks. Both the share farmer
and the landowner benefit from increased scale through increased
"buying and selling power," he said.
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