The late Joe Walsh can inspire beef forum negotiators

Negotiators at yesterday’s beef forum could have drawn inspiration from the late Joe Walsh, just a day after he was laid to rest in his native Clonakilty.

They owe it to him to get the industry running smoothly, after his great successes in saving it from BSE and foot and mouth.

While foot and mouth hit the UK economy for up to €15 billion, the impact in Ireland may have been as little as €200 million.

If Ireland’s efforts, led by Walsh, to halt the disease in 2001 had not been successful, it could have cost the economy €5.6 billion, including job losses of up to 12,000.

Following his death last Sunday, aged 71, after illness, the tributes to him included one from the Secretary General and staff of the Department of Agriculture, recalling his steady and assured handling of the foot and mouth disease crisis — and his calmness and reassuring presence at all times of crisis. He also guided the beef industry after the BSE crisis, leading the efforts of farmers and processors to recover from having to incinerate 500,000 head of cattle in 2001, with markets closed off when the BSE scare left confidence in red meat at an all-time low.

Now, Ireland is recognised internationally as an island where good, wholesome, nutritious and safe quality food is produced, €10 billion worth of which is exported annually — thanks to the time, effort and money put into protecting consumers of Irish beef at home and abroad against the threat posed by BSE.

The success of Ireland’s anti-BSE policy has been internationally recognised.

Also among those to pay tribute this week was ICSA president Patrick Kent, who said many will point to Walsh’s success in preventing the spread of foot and mouth disease in 2001 as his finest hour, but it is arguable that his brave decision to choose the full decoupling option for Ireland, to which many were opposed, will have the longest legacy.

In the fullness of time, most came to realise that it was the correct decision, said Kent.

Walsh also brought marketing of Irish food and drink up to date by establishing Bord Bia in 1994, helping to expand our beef exports under the Ireland the Food Island” banner.