Of course speculation about better times to come is one thing – farmers want this potential to be converted into reality as a matter of reality. But let's get back to the issue of adding value for a moment.
Apart from anything else, it is now inevitable that global free trade in agri-food products will become a reality in the not too distant future. And yes this will represent a challenge for Northern Ireland agriculture. But it's one that local farmers and food processors should meet head on. The way forward is by producing want consumers want and this can only be achieved through the successful adoption of new technologies and proper marketing.
Northern Ireland has the unique advantage of being renowned throughout the world for the quality of its environment and the beauty of its countryside. And this is a tremendous starting point that we can now build on.
It's no secret that many farmers are appalled at the poor prices they are currently receiving and this in the wake of the investment they made
in the likes of farm quality assurance schemes.
In a similar vein, livestock farmers are currently spending £millions of their own money, courtesy of the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme. Again there is a need for this commitment to be converted into a strong marketing theme, highlighting our farming industry's commitment to the environment. In fact, if we can not do this, then one has to ask what was it all for in the first instance!
But at the end of the day the consumer is king. Farmers do not have a divine right to receive a certain price for a particular product. In any event, the attainment of specific quality standards should be taken as a prerequisite with regard to the production of all food products.
Where the local food sector can score is through the development of speciality, value added products, for which there is a high consumer demand. This is already happening in countries such as New Zealand and it's imperative that Northern Ireland continues to follow suit!