Bord Bia dismantling ‘inexplicable’ and ‘absurd’

THE proposed dismantling of Bord Bia – the Irish Food Board – was described yesterday as inexplicable and counter-productive.

As rural fury grew over cuts to farm and other schemes, such as REPS, there was also hostility to the McCarthy Report proposals relating to Bord Bia, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and Teagasc.

The report calls for the transfer of Bord Bia and BIM functions to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the consolidation of their enterprise support and sector marketing functions into Enterprise Ireland. It has also urged huge cutbacks at Teagasc, which provides integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry, and rural communities.

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president Jackie Cahill, who described the proposed dismantling of Bord Bia as inexplicable and counter-productive, said every serious commentator had identified export-led growth as the sole means of rebuilding the economy. He asked how the removal of the internationally-recognised marketing arm of Irish agriculture and food would help export prospects.

“It is an absurd proposal that will hamper our ability to reinvigorate our export sector,” he said.

Mr Cahill said the impact of further cuts in various farm schemes means a huge number of small-to-medium sized farmers will be forced to resort to social welfare.

Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe said Bord Bia provided dedicated marketing and promotion for Ireland’s export-driven agri-food sector.

He said farmers, who are in revolt over cuts to various schemes, would not tolerate any of their levy-funding for Bord Bia getting lost in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or Enterprise Ireland.

Mr Walshe also said the cuts to Teagasc would seriously undermine the long-term development of the agriculture sector. He said the cuts to farm schemes will effectively wipe out the viability of thousands of farm families and confine them to the already overburdened dole queues. The effects will not be felt at farm level alone, but will result in serious losses for rural communities and businesses depending on the farming sector, he said.

Richie Flynn, executive secretary IFA Aquaculture, which represents the €120 million farmed seafood sector, said the Government could not walk away from the development of the industry or coastal areas. Simply abolishing BIM is a lazy and retrograde recommendation that reveals a flawed analysis of the sector, he said.

Macra na Feirme president Michael Gowing said the agricultural sector is already on its knees and cannot sustain further cuts in schemes.