OECD says Bertie got his facts wrong on CAP

[MichaelHennigan]

On Monday, the Financial Times published an article by Bertie Ahern on the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which was basically a transcript of the speech that he had given in Kilkenny, in early September.

Bertie's well paid advisers had used OECD "facts" to support the claim that the value of US farm supports exceed those of the EU.

The following letter appears in today's FT from the OECD:

Sir, The article by Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister (September 26), quotes statistics on farm support published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in its annual monitoring and evaluation report on agricultural policies in OECD countries.

However, some of the numbers quoted are not exact. The figure for the United States seems to refer to our estimate of total transfers to the agricultural sector ($92bn in 2003), equivalent to 0.84 per cent of gross domestic product.

Transfers to agriculture in the European Union (15 members) were larger than indicated in the article, namely $132bn (€117bn) in 2003, corresponding to 1.26 per cent of GDP.

Let me also point out that these transfers include government services to the agricultural sector overall, such as research and infrastructure, and food subsidies such as food stamps in the US.

The OECD also publishes statistics on support to farmers. In 2003, such support in the US stood at $36bn or 15 per cent of farm receipts, while in the EU it was $118bn (€104bn) or 36 per cent of farm receipts.
Stefan Tangermann,

Director for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries,

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,

75016 Paris, France

Further information on Bertie's CAP arguments etc can be found here:

http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusin...10003360.shtml

[qtman]

On Monday, the Financial Times published an article by Bertie Ahern on the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which was basically a transcript of the speech that he had given in Kilkenny, in early September.

Bertie's well paid advisers had used OECD "facts" to support the claim that the value of US farm supports exceed those of the EU.

The following letter appears in today's FT from the OECD:

Sir, The article by Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister (September 26), quotes statistics on farm support published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in its annual monitoring and evaluation report on agricultural policies in OECD countries.

However, some of the numbers quoted are not exact. The figure for the United States seems to refer to our estimate of total transfers to the agricultural sector ($92bn in 2003), equivalent to 0.84 per cent of gross domestic product.

Transfers to agriculture in the European Union (15 members) were larger than indicated in the article, namely $132bn (€117bn) in 2003, corresponding to 1.26 per cent of GDP.

Let me also point out that these transfers include government services to the agricultural sector overall, such as research and infrastructure, and food subsidies such as food stamps in the US.

The OECD also publishes statistics on support to farmers. In 2003, such support in the US stood at $36bn or 15 per cent of farm receipts, while in the EU it was $118bn (€104bn) or 36 per cent of farm receipts.
Stefan Tangermann,

Director for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries,

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,

75016 Paris, France

Further information on Bertie's CAP arguments etc can be found here:

http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusin...10003360.shtml

Fair play to you for drawing attention to this. I'm reminded of that Carlsberg ad where the locals are cutting an ad for truck drivers out of the local paper. No doubt if the FT was widely read in Ireland, there would be something similar going on downing at the Ploughing Championships.

[JCSkinner]

So effectively Bertie just completely bull************************ted in an English newspaper? Or did he just get his facts utterly and spectacularly wrong?

[MichaelHennigan]

Mary Raftery's column in today's Irish Times titled Everyone's out of step but Bertie is on the OECD's response to Bertie's error - more than 2 weeks after the event.

Raftery writes: Of course, it does have to be pointed out that no one in Ireland appears to have noticed the Taoiseach's glaring misuse of figures. But then none of us has the benefit of an enormous staff of personal advisers, no fewer than eight of them in the Taoiseach's department, costing the taxpayer almost €1 million.

Some cheek! One can only ask what alerted her to the story?

[untouchable]

Bertie,s spin doctors(Ministry of Propaganda) have a special way of addressing and re-dressing facts and figures...

[theoutsider]

So effectively Bertie just completely bull************************ted in an English newspaper? Or did he just get his facts utterly and spectacularly wrong?

In fairness to bertie we know sums aren't his strong point, afterall he thought he got his degree at the London School of Economics when he picked it up with a take out pack of Bass.

I think it shows that even Bertie and his spin doctors can't distinguish between the truth and what they say. But it does make him look like an idiot, which is obviosuly a new experience for him!

[untouchable]

Mary Raftery is a little gem.
"Is this a dagger which I see before me"
She knows one, when she sees one....