Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
237 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he envisages an increase in the horticultural sector as farmers’ production decisions change with the advent of the decoupled single farm payment. [11657/04]
View answerThe regulatory provisions establishing the single payment scheme prohibit the growing of fruit and vegetables on lands declared for aid under the scheme and a farmers decision to diversify to the production of horticultural products on such land will be determined by this fact. However, the horticultural sector has operated outside the direct payment system since its inception and due to the relatively small area of land involved and the specialised nature of the enterprise, the impact of the policy change should have only a limited effect on horticulture output.
The horticulture sector has undergone considerable change in recent years and has grown to be a significant entity within the overall agriculture industry. Farm gate value, excluding potatoes, increased by some 6% over the past three years from €267 million in 2001 to €283 million in 2003. It is expected that output from the sector will continue to increase to meet the changing demands of the market place and consumer preferences.
238 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on whether the reduction in research and development into fruit production by Teagasc has impaired the ability of domestic producers to compete with the high level of imports. [11658/04]
View answerResearch and development work in Teagasc has provided the knowledge to allow growers extend the season of production using protective structures with appropriate cultivars. From this work, together with input from the Teagasc advisory service, the nature of the industry has changed from outdoor field production, subject to the vagaries of the weather, to indoor production which is much more sustainable in our climate. Soft fruit can now be grown from April to November in this country and the volume and value of strawberries, the most important fruit crop, have more than doubled during the last four years. Imports occur mainly at times of the year when Irish fruit is not available. There is also consumer demand for more exotic products which are not grown in Ireland for climatic and economic reasons.
While the Teagasc soft fruit research centre at Clonroche was closed in September 2003, research work is continuing at other centres and Teagasc is fully committed to continue providing the vital technology services to underpin a competitive Irish soft fruit production sector.
