asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will allocate a section of his Department to organise the marketing of Irish vegetables; and if he will make a statement on the entire vegetable production and marketing situation.
Written Answers. - Marketing of Irish Vegetables.
41.
The Government have a strong commitment to the development of the horticulture industry, including vegetables. The Ministerial Office for Horticulture has been established within my Department with a view to realising the potential of the industry. The aim is to improve the production and marketing of vegetables and other horticultural crops in order to increase exports and reduce imports to a combined level of some £70 million over a 5-year period and in the process create 1,500/2,000 jobs. A new State body — An Bord Glas — has been set up, on an interim basis pending statutory establishment, to prepare and implement a development plan to achieve this aim. The board has already set up a number of commodity teams to look at the problems facing the various sectors of the industry, including vegetables. The reports of the teams are currently being examined by the board in the context of preparing a plan for the future development of the industry.