Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 June 2016
574. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects to continue to meet the requirements of Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14892/16]
View answer575. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects to open or further develop markets for Irish produce globally and throughout the EU in the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14893/16]
View answer578. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects agriculture production to increase throughout each sector in the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14898/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 574, 575 and 578 together.
Food Wise 2025, the new ten-year strategy for the agri-food sector as published in July of last year, identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as well as specific sectoral recommendations.
If these recommendations are implemented, the expert committee which drew up the Food Wise 2025 Strategy believes the following growth projections are achievable by 2025: increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion; increasing value added in the sector by 70% to in excess of €13 billion; and increasing the value of primary production by 65% to almost €10 billion. With regard to employment, Food Wise foresees the creation of 23,000 additional jobs in the agri-food sector all along the supply chain from primary production to high value-added product development. Realising these growth projections will be challenging, but I am confident that they can be achieved.
The Government is strongly committed to the implementation of the Food Wise strategy. I will chair the fifth meeting of the High Level Implementation Committee, including senior officials from relevant Departments and State agencies, next week.
