Trends in agricultural development in Europe and Ireland

Abstract

The most widely accepted economic argument in favour of Irish membership of an enlarged European Economic Community is that it will lead to a big increase in our earnings from the export of agricultural products. This, it is hoped, will come about for two reasons, the first is the higher prices paid to the farmer for agricultural products in the EEC compared with those currently received in this country, the second is the increased volume of agricultural exports which is anticipated due to the better opportunities for our farmers when they have direct access to a market of over 230 million consumers. This paper is primarily concerned with the second of these two facets of the consequences of Ireland joining the E E C and does not discuss in detail the factors which will determine the prices of individual farm products. These are not, however, entirely separate issues, for the value of the new opportunities which the Common Market presents to our farmers will depend on the prices received for our exports of farm products. Moreover as two-thirds of our agricultural output was consumed at home in the period 1956-60, a change in the prices for all our agricultural products could well have its greatest single impact on the prices of farm products entering domestic consumption.