This is Devon -- The huge challenge – and opportunity – for farming over the next two decades was spelt out to delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference yesterday. (Tues) Simon Coveney, Irish Minister for Agriculture, said that population growth, which would push the global population to nine billion by 2050, along with big increases in income for people in the developing world, would increase the demand for food by some 50% in the coming 30 years.. He said that meant increasing global cereal output by one billion tonnes a year and producing an additional 200 million tonnes of meat, as demand for protein-based diets increased. And he warned: "We are going to have to do it at a time when the availability of agriculture land and water are in decline. "The consequences of us not doing this are not a continuation of the status quo. The consequences are extra international conflict over food, water and international trade." He said the opportunities for the future in farming were greatest for the under-40s, with the Common Agricultural Policy targeting support for young entrants into farming. "We are in at the start of a golden era for agriculture in Ireland and in Europe. It is up to Britain to decide if it wants to engage in that," he said. But he told delegates, including British farmers, farm business and politicians, that he believed the UK gave far too little priority to farming. "Farming does not get the priority it deserves in the UK. I think that is changing and that is welcome. In my country farming is the most important industry – by far," he said. Mr Coveney confirmed what Westcountry beef and dairy farmers have known for a very long time – that Ireland is a big exporter of farm produce to the UK, often undercutting UK prices and successfully negotiating deals with British supermarkets. But he also pointed out that Britain exported significant amounts of farm produce to the Irish Republic – as much as to France, he said. "In four years the value of Irish farm produce has increased by 40%. We will continue that growth and continue to export to the UK, which is our most important market," he said. "The trade each year between our countries is worth 7 billion euros – 4 billion euros worth of exports from Ireland to the UK and 3 billion euros exported from the UK to Ireland." Dacian Ciolos, the European Union Commissioner for Agriculture, who also addressed the conference, defended the Common Agriculture Policy, particularly against criticism from Britain that it cost taxpayers too much money and feather-bedded inefficient European farmers. He said: "I would invite you in the UK to suppress payments to your farmers in England, Scotland and Wales and see what happens. You have small farmers in the UK too." He insisted that agricultural policy was not just a question of food security and environmental sustainability, but tied closely to the economic development of the world as a whole. And he said Europe's high standards of food safety made it a competitive global food producer.
Reported by This is 9 hours ago.
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