Cuts will hurt beef industry

FARMERS who thought that increasing production and exports might be a good route out of recession have to think again, after the Government decided last week to slash spending on development of food and farming in 2009 by 52%.

It was indicative of the grave state of the economy that €215 million was pulled back from a sector which has contributed 32% of Ireland’s net foreign earnings of primary and manufacturing industries in recent years.

That didn’t save the Department of Agriculture from a €242.4m cut in its 2009 budget.