The fact that 25,000 farm households have been deemed in a Teagasc report, issued today Tuesday July 14th, to be economically vulnerable, that 84%of farms in the west are not economically viable and that 50% of farmers in the border area are economically vulnerable contrasts starkly with the Government's Food Wise 2025 plan which has a target of an 85% increase in agri-food exports. This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she warned that over hyping by the Government of the future prospects of Irish farming was not sustained by the economic realities.

She said: - "The latest Teagasc figures, while indicating that specialist dairy farming is sustainable, shows clearly that family farming without an off-farm income is not viable. The latest report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Price Index indicating that it has reached its lowest level in six years also puts into question the Governments latest 85% increased target for agri-food exports.

"The latest Government target owes more to political hyping of prospects than recognising the challenge of increased competition in international food markets. This over hyping, and encouraging a milk production bubble comparable to the disastrous property bubble, is disregarding the realities of the cyclical nature of world markets and the exploitative actions of the increasingly avaricious nature of the international retail sector” she said.

“The Food Wise 2025 Plan should not be regarded as anything but an aspiration and not a solid guide to farm or processing level investment. The primary producer of today is sustained by the support of the Common Agricultural Policy and not by the market. The plan and policy that is needed right now is how to sustain the greatest possible number of family farmers in Ireland in the context of the current inexorable decline of the number of dairy farmers to 10,000 and associated increase in the number of low income dry stock producers” Independent MEP Marian Harkin concluded.