The political agreement reached by the president of the EU Ursula Von der Leyen with the South American countries is really only sinking in now with farmers.

How can Irish and European farmers compete with the scale, innovation and differing regulatory procedures that operate in South America? Quite simply they can’t – especially when measured on an equivalent standard.

The number of active ingredients available to tillage farmers, the regulations on medicine usage, hormones used, the ongoing deforestation in the productive parts of Brazil all combine to make South America a very different productive base.

It’s not the ‘trade’ per se that makes EU and Irish farmers fearful – trade is what we do in the European Union – but rather its competing on the same pitch with differing rules that makes the future so uncertain.

It’s this uncertainty that slowly kills a business. Farmers look elsewhere for income. Meat factories don’t invest for the future. Skilled workers at farm level, processing and marketing level leave to join other businesses.

How our political leaders respond is now key. Fine Gael’s Peter Burke’s comments this week that the publication of a 430 page annex has materially changed the nature of the agreement sounds like the first political back track on election promises. We wait to analyse the detail, but be sure that beef farmers are watching political soundings with keen interest.

Uisce Éireann fined after guilty plea

Fish stocks on an 8km stretch of the river Allow in north Cork were devastated during the summer. The company that pleaded guilty - Uisce Éireann - was fined €3,500 in the District Court this week.

I find it hard to believe that a company that generated €1.5 billion in revenue in 2023 is managing to get away with this.

What signal does this send to employees and management of this national entity? The inconsequential, almost trivial financial penalty pales into insignificance relative to smaller owner operators that accidentally and often unintentionally allow nutrients into waterways.

If I was Uisce Éireann I’d be happy to take a small fine like this than spend millions upgrading or indeed seeking additional State aid.