A radical new approach to marketing farm produce has been demanded by the leader of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association at the organisation's agm in Croke Park, Dublin.
Malcolm Thompson yesterday called for a huge investment in marketing and branding beef and lamb, including a re-examination of the Bord Bainne/Kerrygold approach to meat.
Mr Thompson said a much greater investment was necessary on research and development, especially with a view to adding value to farm produce.
"I would like to see a further development of a green, natural, free-range concept which would give official status to a level and system of production somewhere between organic and conventional intensively produced food," he told the meeting.
He repeated the opposition of his 9,500-strong organisation to allowing the production of GM foods, saying a GM-free island status would be of great benefit to marketing strategy.
Strong support to help develop direct sales from farmer and farm groups to the consumer was necessary and there should be financial assistance to help internet-based direct sales. Bureaucratic barriers to direct sales should be removed and the Government should help with the promotion of farmers' markets.
Mr Thompson called on the Minister for Agriculture and Food to lead these radical changes, adding that farming could not hope for good news from the world trade negotiations later this month in Hong Kong.
Mary Coughlan told the agm that she was not prepared to sacrifice agriculture to achieve a less than satisfactory outcome to the WTO talks.
"The 2003 reforms are the limit of the EU negotiating position in the agriculture negotiations. When these reforms were agreed, farmers signed up on the basis that they would provide a stable operating environment up to 2013 and they are entitled to that stability.
"As we approach the Hong Kong ministerial conference," the Minister added, "I believe the onus is now very firmly on other developed countries to show the same level of ambition as already shown by the EU in all elements of the negotiations, including agriculture."