Agriculture Committee hears upbeat assessment from food producer representatives
9 October 2012
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine today heard an optimistic assessment from representatives from Food and Drink Industry Ireland on the ambitious targets outlined in Food Harvest 2020.
Food Harvest 2020 sets out a vision for smart, green, and sustainable growth for the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors. The strategy aims to increase food exports by 42 percent by 2020. Representatives from IBEC’s Food and Drink Industry Ireland outlined their perspective on Food Harvest 2020, from the meat, dairy and consumer food sectors.
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD said: “Agri-food is the largest sector of the Irish economy and is deeply embedded in Irish life, employing about 150,000 people nationwide. The announcement earlier today in Naas of 800 jobs by the Kerry Group is testament to the potential of the industry to lead in national economic recovery.
“We heard a series of informative and thought-provoking presentations from food industry representatives on the ambitious targets for Food Harvest 2020. Both food producers and processors will be keen to ensure that any changes to the Common Agricultural Policy in the coming years minimises market distortions. Concern was also expressed that EU climate change targets might hinder the chances of Food Harvest 2020 goals being achieved.
“The Committee heard that the €14 billion domestic grocery sector was in difficulty, due to power wielded by the large supermarket chains in the sector.
Criticism was expressed that these retailers are increasingly highlighting their commitment to Irish produce in their advertising. We take on board the suggestion that the Government, or one of its agencies, insist that retailers be made to prove that they abide by prompt payment policies, so vital for small businesses is this credit-starved economic climate.
“We continue our discussions on Food Harvest 2020 next week with representatives from Bord Bia and the Irish Dairy Board. The Committee intends to report to the Minister on our findings on the current status of Food Harvest 2020 and what further policy actions will be required for the targets to be achieved.”