Sir, - 1997 was been an excellent year for the Irish economy and the prognosis is that the Celtic Tiger is to race ahead again in 1998. Long may this continue. National media commentators have been busily reviewing 1997 and making forecasts for 1998 with little, if any, mention of Ireland's biggest industry, the farming and food sector. I would like to remind your readers that agriculture is - and will continue to be for the foreseeable future - Ireland's largest economic sector, supporting 346,000 jobs in this country (CSO figures) and exporting over £5 billion worth of quality food to over 150 countries around the world.
Yes, Irish farming is going through a tough time and the numbers involved in full-time farming are falling. Against this, many areas of the food sector are expanding into added-value food products for export, thus creating sustainable jobs.
And yes, the challenges facing Irish farmers are significant, with the bureaucrats on the international and European stage dictating that farmers should get paid below the cost of production for their produce and be given a cheque in the post to make up the difference. Contrary to what some commentators feel, this money from Brussels does not fatten deposit accounts, but goes towards buying goods and services for the farmers' businesses and providing for their families. In other words, EU direct payments to farmers creates massive economic activity and jobs, reduces the need for national supports for agriculture and benefits the economy generally.
The BSE crisis has resulted in great concern among consumers about the quality of beef. It has also been an economic disaster for our whole livestock industry, decimating livestock farmers' incomes and devaluing our nation's livestock by approximately £1 billion.
I wonder if your readers are aware that a farmer gets 80p a pound for his beef - not enough to buy one daily newspaper. The same farmer 40 years ago could buy 8 daily newspapers for what he got for his pound of beef.
With the strict Government controls in place today, there is no risk of contracting CJD from eating Irish beef. Let's hope that scientists quickly find answers to the BSE crisis so that consumers of beef around the world can be reassured as to the quality and nutritious value of the king of all meats.
Farming is a great industry that has developed and expanded massively over the years. In 1997 the average farmer produced enough food to feed 50 people, compared with only seven people 40 years ago. The Irish farming and food industry is a success story and we should all be proud of it. We all have a role to play in promoting the positive aspects of Ireland's largest industry. - Yours, etc.,
Michael McBennett,
Chairman, AgriAware, Waverley Office Park, Dublin 12.