Farmer Thomas Duffy: why the reduction in vegetable production is not related to cows

As Thomas Duffy notes, since 2004 the European Union has not provided advantages to any type of agricultural production. All payments have been frozen at the level of 2000–2002 figures, and governments have no right to encourage any single direction of the agricultural sector. Thus, subsidies per hectare of carrots or per cow are equal.

The decline in Irish seed production and vegetable growing is associated with a number of factors, including the repeal of the Grocery Goods Act in 2006 (under then-leader Michael Martin) and limited access to plant protection products. Following the abolition of milk quotas in 2015, many farmers converted land previously used for potatoes or cabbage into pasture solely for economic reasons. At the same time, Irish consumers spend the lowest share of their income on food among EU countries.

At the same time, vegetable imports from southern regions of Europe and North Africa, such as Spanish Almería or territories in Morocco, face problems of water resource depletion and extreme temperatures. In addition, the materials point to harsh working conditions and the use of illegal labor at foreign enterprises supplying products to the market.