Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Mar 2001

Vol. 533 No. 5

Written Answers. - AgriFood 2010 Report.

P. J. Sheehan

Question:

42 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the plans his Department has to address the AgriFood 2010 report finding that only 20,000 farmers will be engaged in viable full-time farming in ten years time if there is a continuation of existing trends and policies in the agriculture industry. [9116/01]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

I set up the AgriFood 2010 Committee in 1999 to provide advice on the future of the agrifood sector. In response to its report, the Government published the AgriFood 2010 plan of action in August 2000. Farm numbers have been in decline in Ireland for a very long time and this is an international phenomenon. In this context, the committee's report projected a further decline in farm numbers over the next 15 years. However, these figures were tentative and conditional estimates and most definitely not targets to be aimed for.

The Government is fully committed to the development of a core of full-time farms earning viable returns on both capital and labour. This point has been set out quite clearly in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and in the AgriFood 2010 plan of action. The Government's objective of ensuring the highest possible number of full-time farms will be facilitated by the wide range of supports received by these farms, the benefits of Agenda 2000 and the measures in the AgriFood 2010 plan of action itself. At the same time, our growing economy offers attractive off-farm job opportunities and this provides an additional route to household viability for many families on smaller farms.

Therefore the number of full-time and part-time farms in the future will be dependent on the decisions made by farm families themselves. The Government's aim is to actively support farm families in whatever decisions they make about their future.