At long last

Alleluia! After many years of lobbying and campaigning, at long last the Government has acknowledged agricultural contractors and recognises it is in their interest and that of the agri-food sector, to ensure Ireland has a viable contracting sector.

One of the outcomes of persistent and professional campaigning is that eventually you can wear down your target and open the door to meaningful engagement. I am happy to say this is the situation that PAC Ireland finds itself in; after years of lobbying, the Government has, at last, recognised the importance of agricultural contractors. Firstly, this recognition came during the fuel crisis by inviting representatives to attend negotiations, alongside other stakeholders. As I reported in the May issue of Irish farmers Monthly PAC Ireland made a very clear case for contractors to be included in any fuel subsidy.

Working group

Secondly, the initiation of a farm contracting working group is part of the Programme for Government, with briefing meetings already underway. I cannot stress enough the importance of establishing a forum that can respond to the many issues facing contractors on an ongoing basis, without being passed from pillar to post with no department wanting to take responsibility. The working group has top civil servants attending from various Government departments including agriculture and finance along with representatives from Teagasc. The first meeting took place towards the end of April where the terms of reference acknowledged the pivotal role that agricultural contractors play in supporting the agri-food and forestry sectors. It was acknowledged that contractors are essential to many farming operations and their use also achieves economies of scale, delivering practical efficiencies, allowing the use of modern equipment in a viable way to support sustainable and cost-effective farming.

The terms also referred to the relationship and engagement between contractors and farmers as fundamental in ensuring adherence to best agriculture practice and critical in ensuring the long-term economic, environmental and social sustainability of the agriculture and forestry sectors.

Challenges

Also taken into account are the many challenges facing contractors, including generational renewal, high cost of machinery, rising fuel costs, unpredictability of weather, and difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled machinery operators.

Finally, the working group will facilitate discussion between relevant stakeholders to consider training, support, and taxation measures to help support agricultural contractors address the issues they currently face in these and other areas.

At the first meeting, PAC Ireland stressed the need for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to establish a contact list of agricultural contractors and carry out a survey of the strengths and weaknesses within the sector. We also asked for access to all machinery grants that farmers can avail of and asked the Department of Finance to crack down on down the black economy, which can do irreparable harm to legitimate contracting businesses.

At long last, through the new working group, we have a direct point of contact within the DAFM, and other Government departments for important issues facing our sector.