Big farming, straight talking

IFA President Padraig Walshe, and Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan, deserve credit for backing big farming.

It’s a politically sensitive topic, especially in IFA, where small and big farm lobbies have emerged from time to time.

The Minister’s announcement of an open-market milk quota transfer system, designed to boost the scale of dairy farms, was greeted by strident objections from small farming supporters. That’s why few politicians are brave enough to come out in favour of big farming - because offended small farmers could represent lost votes.