A step towards an All-Ireland Agricultural platform

Despite the current suspension of the Assembly, and the delays in progressing joint Ministerial co-operation in key areas of government, as laid down in the GFA, there was a meeting last week between the Dublin Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, and Britain's Direct Rule Minister with responsibility for Agriculture, Ian Pearson, to discuss crucial all-Ireland agricultural issues.

The Sinn Féin spokespersons on Agriculture, Martin Ferris TD and Councillor Gerry McHugh, welcomed the meeting, which discussed common problems of the CAP reform and all-Ireland animal disease prevention policy.

Gerry McHugh said: "Sinn Féin very much welcomes the fact that the two ministers have taken this initiative. We particularly welcome the commitment to establish a joint working group on the implementation of aspects of the CAP reform. This is something that we have called for since the reform package was agreed last June. It is crucial for farmer in Ireland that an all-Ireland joint approach is taken by the two administrations if Irish agriculture is to exploit the opportunities open to farmers in this country.

"We would also like to see progress towards a joint marketing strategy for Irish food produce abroad and in Ireland itself. It has long been recognised throughout the farming communities, North and South, that co-operation is a prerequisite of the survival of farmers in this country: that the London government is unable and unwilling to represent the interests in Europe of the smaller farmers in the Six Counties."

Barry McElduff, spokesperson for All-Ireland Integration and Cross Border Development, said "the meeting is an important step towards all-Ireland agriculture and has the potential to greatly affect all the smaller farmers in the Border areas who are currently struggling to survive in farming with all the difficulties the artificial border separating cross-border markets creates, and the historic failures of the British to represent the interests of Six-County farmers.