I think that would be a challenge for us. For the entire farming sector to perform adequately there is a certain reliance on exports. Only a very small part of the agricultural sector relies only on the domestic market.
If pork were to be protected, for example, what would we say the countries with which we are trying to negotiate freer trade? They may decide to open up their market to us, but if they have any stake in the pork industry, that might prove more difficult.
We mentioned in our report that future business opportunities in the farming sector will centre around value-added products and not core commodities. So we need to provide a climate in which farmers can become more innovative and we need to help them along this path.
The current word is that the production chain does not allow for this type of innovation to occur. Market vend0rs have information on consumer needs, but this information doesn't reach farmers. Were these farmers more familiar with what consumers—who are at the end of the chain—want, they could at least see if they can produce something different.