Those who expected the EU Agriculture Commissioner to deliver some good news to Ireland on the forthcoming CAP reform package during his two-day visit to Ireland were disappointed.
As Mr Franz Fischler returned to Brussels yesterday, there was no doubt that he had succeeded in his mission of spelling out to Ireland that the Agenda 2000 reforms, designed to cut EU supports for farming, will not be subject to any great amendment.
He was particularly strong in his defence of the proposed 30 per cent cut in beef industry supports and bluntly told the annual meeting of the IFA that he was not going to compromise.
For nearly an hour and a half, he lectured Irish farmers. He asked why the price of cattle had not risen even though he had arranged a special intervention scheme for them.
Mr Fischler spoke about the poor quality of Irish cattle, the over-dependence on non-EU markets, over-dependence on intervention for beef and milk, and of the lack of appreciation he experienced from Ireland when he tried to help.
But his bottom line was that, whether they liked it or not, the Common Agricultural Policy would have to be reformed. Not to do so would create even greater food mountains, like in the early 1990s when intervention butter was stored in ships in Cork Harbour.
He said his model, significantly reducing price supports and continuing income supports by increasing direct income payments, was the way forward which took account of the consumer, the environment, animal welfare, European taxpayers' demands and the World Trade negotiations.
Mr Fischler repeated his message to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, when they met yesterday morning in Government Buildings and to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, later in the day.
He left behind him very dissatisfied farmers, who have called on the Government to use its veto to prevent the deal going through before the end of February deadline.
Mr Fischler's rejection of their alternative reform plan based on tighter controls on production and the amount of losses they claim will result from his plan - £260 million in farm income - will bring them on to the streets again.
This time, however, the farmers will be protesting in Brussels on February 22nd when the farm ministers meet to finalise the package.