Is the Department of Agriculture playing the ‘consultation’ card yet again?

The charade of engaging with stakeholders was used to great effect on CAP; and repeated with the Food Vision dairy group report.

Who could forget Minister McConalogue’s ‘chicken and chips’ tour of the country’s marts as he sought out farmers’ opinions on CAP reform.

It was great optics, but the process had little impact on policy.

Similarly, we were told that stakeholder input was at the heart of the Food Vision dairy group. However, this initiative concluded with a report that few farmer groups supported.

The latest issue to get the ‘consultation play book treatment’ appears to be the thorny subject of calf sales.

The actions of senior Kildare Street officials at the recent calf stakeholder forum in Backweston would certainly suggest that something is afoot on calf movements.

Senior Department officials presented a number of proposals at the meeting which centred around introducing more stringent age and weight restrictions on calf sales in the marts and on calf exports.

Curiously, however, the Department claimed the proposals were not actually proposals; instead, they were termed ‘suggestions’.

The origins of the proposals or suggestions – or whatever you’d like to call them yourself – was also a mystery.

The Department officials said they had received the suggestions prior to the forum meeting, but were less than forthcoming on their provenance.

A kite was also flown at the Backweston meeting regarding the use of Jersey genetics in the dairy herd.

Indeed, The Dealer understands that there was even mention of banning the use of Jersey sires.

Draconian

Finding a home for Jersey-cross bull calves is a perennial problem for the dairy sector – and slaughtering them will no longer be an option from 1 January under new animal welfare regulations.

But talk of banning the use of certain breeds seems a tad draconian even for the Department.

Worryingly, The Dealer hears that the calf stakeholder forum is not to meet again until shortly before Christmas. This will limit the time available for discussion.

However, it could play into the Department’s hands if senior officials have already decided what is to happen on the calf trade issue.

In fact, some believe that firm proposals on calf movements will be made by the Department at this pre-Christmas meeting. Others predict that the pre-Christmas proposals will be delivered in a ‘take it or leave it’ fashion.

If such an approach is taken then the stakeholder meetings will enable the Department to claim once again that it had ‘consulted widely with the industry’; thereby providing the necessary political cover for whatever course of action the mandarins of Kildare Street decide upon.

Now that’s what you call consultation baby – Department-style.