Consumers ‘hold key to future of farming’

SATISFYING the consumer is going to be the critical factor in the development of Irish agriculture.

That’s the prediction of Minister Joe Walsh in the immediate aftermath of his decision to introduce full decoupling of all cattle, sheep and arable crops payments.

In a move that will radically change the face of Irish agriculture, the payments will be decoupled from production from January 2005 and replaced with a single annual farm cheque.