The manner in which John Bryan was elected as president of the Irish Farmers Association was an impressive achievement. He won a majority of the 40,000 votes cast in all regions against well-established opponents. And he promised supporters he would fight recent financial cutbacks and protect the Single Farm Payment scheme. It is a challenging agenda for difficult times.
After two years of dismally wet summers that depressed both mental attitudes and farm output, farmers need a break. The recession in the world economy hit them as hard as any other sector and commodity prices took a beating. Farmers were under serious financial pressure even before December’s widespread flooding damaged fodder stocks. Milk prices collapsed early in the year and while there was some recovery in the autumn, many farmers were still producing milk, beef and cereals at below cost.
There could hardly be a less favourable time to take charge of the IFA. But farming tends to be a cyclical business and, already, there are indications that prices are likely to rise next year. The agri/food sector, which sends 40 per cent of its output to Britain, was negatively affected by a rapid fall in the value of sterling. Exports fell sharply. It was a painful lesson on the need to diversify. And while a slow recovery is now under way, more emphasis will have to be placed on selling into Europe.
Mr Bryan came to national prominence when, as chairman of the IFA livestock committee, he campaigned successfully against the importation of Brazilian beef into the European Union because of health and quality control considerations. The issue is likely to re-emerge during his four-year term as president, either at EU level or through world trade talks. Defending the Single Farm Payment, which is due to be reviewed or phased out after 2013, will represent a major aspect of that global trade package.
The most immediate challenge facing Mr Bryan, however, involves the prices being paid for farm produce by factories and supermarkets. Direct action has always been a favoured IFA weapon. Already, Mr Bryan has led protests against low factory prices being paid for cattle here, compared to those in England and in Northern Ireland.
The supermarket business may be a tougher nut to crack. Farmers have been justifiably annoyed by the large gap that exists between farm gate and supermarket prices and they sought redress through legislation and by way of protest. The new president has offered a third way: negotiation. It might work.