Tuesday, 12 Jul 2016

Written Answers Nos. 710-724

Live Exports

Questions (710)

Martin Kenny

Question:

710. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase live exports of cattle, which are down 25% on 2015. [21309/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Live exports serve a vital purpose as a means of satisfying market demand for live animals and providing alternative market outlets for Irish cattle farmers. I attach major importance to the live cattle export trade, and my Department, along with Bord Bia, has been proactive in encouraging and facilitating such exports.

Last year saw high levels of exports of cattle to both Britain and Northern Ireland, largely driven by favourable currency rates, which made cattle from this country more competitive in those markets. However, as a result of a closer Euro Vs Sterling exchange rate, exports to the UK this year are lower by approximately 50%. Exports to Italy however are up by almost 20% and exports to Spain have grown by 11%.

The markets currently open to live cattle from Ireland include Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Serbia and Algeria and most recently Turkey, in addition to the other Member States of the European Union. Animal health restrictions and geopolitical instability have impeded previously large-scale exports to Belgium and North Africa respectively.

My Department has agreed health certificates for the export of live cattle to Turkey, Egypt, Serbia and Algeria in 2016 and is currently investigating the possibility of bilateral health certificates for the export of cattle to Kazakhstan, Montenegro, as well as breeding cattle to Morocco.

The exploitation of market outlets, once opened is a commercial matter for the live export sector, and is affected by the usual variables, including the cost of animals at marts, domestic demand for live cattle, the relative cost of beef on the domestic and international markets, currency exchange rates, transport costs and other factors.

I will continue to ensure that Irish meat and livestock producers have the option of exporting to as many global markets as possible for both processed meat and live cattle.

Live Exports

Questions (711)

Michael D'Arcy

Question:

711. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress he has made in achieving market access to Turkey for Irish live exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21360/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

On 13 June 2016 Ireland was added to the list of Countries approved to export live cattle to Turkey. The market was opened following a period of detailed engagement by DAFM with the Turkish authorities, which culminated in a visit to Ireland by a Turkish Veterinary team in May 2016. A Veterinary Certificate allowing live exports of cattle from Ireland to Turkey is now in place in relation to cattle for breeding, fattening and slaughter.

Sheepmeat Sector

Questions (712)

Michael D'Arcy

Question:

712. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the proposed sheep scheme as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21361/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department currently provides a wide range of supports for sheep farmers through existing schemes such as BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS. These schemes make a vital contribution to the viability of the sheep sector in Ireland.

The sheep sector generally makes an important contribution to the Agri-Food economy generating an output value of €320 million and exporting in excess of €230 million in 2015. Furthermore the sector also makes a vital contribution to the economy supporting 34,000 farm families directly in addition to providing several thousand jobs indirectly in rural areas also.

The new programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the Rural Development Programme, with a budget of €25 million to be provided in Budget 2017. The inclusion of this provision in the programme for Government reflects a commitment to ensuring the continued viability of the sheep sector in Ireland.

My Department has engaged in extensive consultations with farm organisations and with the European Commission in relation to the proposed scheme. In light of these consultations my department is currently working on the details of the scheme with a view to making a formal submission to the European Commission shortly.

Any such scheme must comply with the Rural Development Regulation. The scheme proposed itself is being developed under Article 33 of the Rural Development Regulation, which provides for animal welfare measures. All eligible actions or undertakings will have to contribute to improving animal welfare conditions for flocks within the scheme, and payments made must compensate farmers for costs incurred or income foregone as a result of participation. Furthermore, eligible actions must go beyond the normal standards of husbandry practice and must be verifiable and controllable.

My objective is to ensure that the scheme is simple to apply for and administer, that it complies with the relevant EU Regulations, makes a real contribution to the sector, and is available to as many farmers as possible.

Food Wise 2025 Strategy

Questions (713)

Michael D'Arcy

Question:

713. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress of the Food Wise 2025 strategy, including the actions detailed therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21362/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agrifood sector published in July last year, replaced Food Harvest 2020. It 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 sectorial recommendations.

The implementation process for any strategy is vital for its success. I chair the Food Wise High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC), with high level representatives from all the relevant Departments and State agencies. The committee reviews progress on detailed actions on a quarterly basis, in order to identify and solve problems quickly. Stakeholders regularly present to the committee meetings on their priorities for particular sectors or themes and by the end of this year, the HLIC will have reviewed in detail progress on the five cross-cutting themes and the twelve individual sectors outlined in Food Wise 2025. So it is very much a live and continuously updated process. For example, the HLIC convened following the UK vote to leave the EU, to agree on a coordinated approach for the agrifood sector.

I will launch the first year progress report on Food Wise 2025 tomorrow; the report will available on the Department’s website later this week.

Animal Welfare

Questions (714)

Michael D'Arcy

Question:

714. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of animal welfare prosecutions that have come about on foot of his Department's efforts in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21363/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which came into operation on 6 March 2014, is a legal instrument with wide application and potential use by a range of authorised officers in a wide variety of settings. Local authorities, An Garda Síochána and officials of my Department are empowered to take prosecutions under the Act.

To date, over fifty prosecutions have been initiated under the Act, including those taken by my Department arising from field inspections by Department Officers, authorised officers of the ISPCA and DSPCA and An Garda Síochána. Several prosecutions have been successfully completed and the remainder are at various stages in the court system.

Beef Exports

Questions (715, 721)

Michael D'Arcy

Question:

715. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his efforts to open market access for Irish beef inside and outside the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21364/16]

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

721. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts his Department is making to open market access for Irish beef inside and outside the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21370/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I propose to take Questions Nos. 715 and 721 together.

There is a strong demand for beef globally and my role as Minister is to facilitate market access and to enable Irish exporters to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. In 2015 Ireland exported an estimated €2.2 billion, or approximately 500,000 tonnes of beef, to almost 80 countries around the globe. Food Wise 2025 acknowledged that there is a rising global population together with the growing middle classes in a number of rapidly growing economies and changing dietary patterns to incorporate increased protein consumption. Taken together these provide a great opportunity for increasing the exports of high quality, safe and sustainably produced Irish beef.

As a member of the European Union, Ireland already has full market access to the 27 other EU Member States for beef and other commodities produced. Therefore Ireland has ready market access to a population of over 500 million inhabitants, which indeed is one of the many benefits that comes with being a Member of the EU. The majority of Irish beef exported is to other EU Member States. According to Bord Bia, in 2015 some 52% of Irish beef exports went to the UK and 36% went to other EU markets. Recent events in markets close to home have highlighted once again the importance of diversifying our international beef markets. As an exporting country, accessing new markets is crucial to the long-term sustainability of our beef sector.

The balance of our beef exports was to non EU markets including the USA, Middle East, Philippines, Hong Kong, Ghana and Switzerland among others. These Third Country markets are increasingly an important alternative outlet for the industry. My Department engages on an ongoing basis with many Third countries, in collaboration with Bord Bia, the meat industry, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the European Commission on various market access issues. My Department continues to push strongly for market access to other Third Countries.

In 2015 Ireland had some notable successes including becoming the first EU Member State to gain beef access to the USA, having a BSE ban lifted by the Chinese authorities and negotiating an extension to our market access to the Philippines, where we are now the second largest supplier of beef. More recently beef markets in Canada, Oman and the Maldives have also been opened. Significantly our access to the US market was recently further extended to incorporate manufacturing beef, as a testament to our beef production and regulatory systems. It is expected that similar extended beef access to Saudi Arabia will be achieved shortly. We are currently in the process of trying to secure beef access to other third countries including, inter alia, China, South Korea, Israel, Ukraine and Vietnam. It is my intention to continue to focus on developing as many third country markets as possible in order to provide exporters as many commercial opportunities as possible in a competitive global marketplace.

Food Industry Development

Questions (716)

Michael D'Arcy

Question:

716. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on his efforts in developing the Irish seafood industry and the wider marine sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21365/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Our seafood industry has been on a sustained growth path in recent years, with sales growing to €890 million in 2015. Current FAO estimates are that growth in world consumption of fish will require an extra 40 million tonnes of seafood by 2030. Ireland can capture a significant share of this global seafood opportunity with the right strategy and supporting investment.

FoodWise 2025 recognised this opportunity for the growth of our seafood industry and set out a strategy to realise that growth potential by focussing on the key areas of sustainability, added value, processing scale, human capital, increasing raw material supply and developing our markets.

In January this year, a new €240 million development programme for Ireland’s seafood sector was launched – the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme. That Programme will be the primary tool to address the 6 key areas identified in FoodWise. I was delighted to announce in June the first tranche of €4.3 million in grants to 51 aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises under the EMFF Programme.

Under that Programme, I am making available €30 million to kick-start growth in our aquaculture sector, which has been stagnant for too long. In December, we published Ireland’s first National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, targeting growth in output of 45,000 tonnes by 2023, aided through 24 specified initiatives. To complement those efforts, my Department is working to deliver up to 200 licence determinations this year and will initiate a review of aquaculture licensing procedures, as recommended in FoodWise.

All of these efforts focusing on aquaculture, together with efforts to attract landings of fish by foreign vessels, will help increase the supply of raw material to our growing processing industry to convert to added value consumer foods, food ingredients and functional foods. I will be making available €33 million Government funding through the EMFF Programme to support the further development of our processing sector through enhanced scaling and value adding. FoodWise recognises that we need to reduce the level of seafood product which is exported in commodity form from its present 70% level to below 50%. Adding value to seafood products will make a huge difference to the economic activity and levels of employment in our coastal communities.

These efforts are being supported through €2 million investment in 2016 by Bord Bia in promoting Irish seafood internationally and assisting our producers to find and grow markets. They are being supported by a commitment within the seafood sector to sustainability, with 32 Irish seafood companies fully verified as members of Origin Green, and a further 16 applications in the pipeline. Between them, these companies will account for in excess of 80% of total seafood export values.

In these many initiatives to implement the FoodWise strategy and in our financial commitment through the EMFF Programme, Government is clearly stepping up to the challenges and striving to grow our seafood industry.

Food Wise 2025 Strategy

Questions (717)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

717. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the progress of the Food Wise 2025 strategy, including progress on the actions detailed therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21366/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agrifood sector published in July last year, replaced Food Harvest 2020. It 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 sectorial recommendations.

The implementation process for any strategy is vital for its success. I chair the Food Wise High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC), with high level representatives from all the relevant Departments and State agencies. The committee reviews progress on detailed actions on a quarterly basis, in order to identify and solve problems quickly. Stakeholders regularly present to the committee meetings on their priorities for particular sectors or themes and by the end of this year, the HLIC will have reviewed in detail progress on the five cross-cutting themes and the twelve individual sectors outlined in Food Wise 2025. So it is very much a live and continuously updated process. For example, the HLIC convened, following the UK vote to leave the EU, to agree on a coordinated approach for the agrifood sector.

I will launch the first year progress report on Food Wise 2025 tomorrow; the report will be available later this week on the Department’s website.

Sheepmeat Sector

Questions (718)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

718. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the proposed sheep scheme as outlined in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21367/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The new Programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the Rural Development Programme with a budget of €25 million to be provided in Budget 2017.

Any such scheme must comply with the Rural Development Regulation. The scheme proposed will be additional to existing supports available to sheep farmers under the BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS and will make a vital contribution to ensuring the continuing viability of the sheep sector in Ireland.

This commitment is a clear acknowledgement of the contribution the sheepmeat sector makes to the Irish Agri Food economy generating an output value of €320 million in 2015 and supporting 34,000 farm families directly as well as providing several thousand jobs indirectly in rural areas.

As regards the specifics of the scheme design and operation, my Department has engaged in extensive consultation with farm organisations. In addition they met two weeks ago with officials of the European Commission to discuss the proposed new scheme in the context of the specific requirements of the Rural Development Programme.

My officials are currently working on the details of the scheme in light of those consultations. The scheme is being proposed as an animal welfare scheme under Article 33 of the Rural Development Regulation and all actions will have to improve animal welfare conditions for flocks within the scheme. Furthermore, schemes payments may be made only on the basis of costs incurred or income foregone as a result of the required actions. Those actions must be verifiable and controllable, and go beyond normal standards of husbandry practice.

My objective is to ensure that the scheme is simple to participate in and to administer, complies with EU requirements and is sufficiently attractive to maximise the number of participants from both lowland and hill farmers sectors.

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Questions (719)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

719. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he has taken to address the concerns of the agrifood sector arising from the decision of the United Kingdom referendum on exiting the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21368/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The decision of the UK to leave the EU is one that creates considerable challenges for the agrifood sector. The UK is by far our largest trading partner.  Last year we exported almost €5.1 billion worth of agricultural products. This included more than €1.1 billion in beef products and almost €970 million in dairy products. Ireland is also the UK’s largest destination for its food exports - worth €3.8 billion last year.

This bilateral trade takes place on the basis of harmonised EU rules on animal and public health and labelling, without complex certification, quota limits or customs duties and tariffs. And it is underpinned by the vital support of the CAP budget, to which the UK is a significant net contributor.

Given these linkages, and as the UK is a net food importer, both countries have a strong interest in maintaining a close agrifood trading relationship. In addition, the resilience of the Irish agrifood sector is well recognised, and this, together with the strong commercial relationships built up over years of trading, will help us to negotiate our way though the challenges ahead.

It is important also to bear in mind that the precise implications of the UK’s decision depend on the trade and other arrangements ultimately negotiated between the EU and the UK. These negotiations may take up to two years, and perhaps longer, and over that period existing arrangements will continue to apply.

Nevertheless, my Department has engaged in detailed contingency planning for the possibility of this result, and has published a summary of the key actions we will now take to address the contingencies arising from the UK’s decision.

The most immediate concerns for agrifood exporters centre on Euro-Sterling exchange rates. It should be noted that the fall in the value of Sterling against the Euro, while significant, is not unprecedented. Nevertheless, a sustained period of currency volatility could be of concern. In that regard, the Central Bank of Ireland has pre-established contingency plans to deal with market volatility surrounding the referendum result. The Bank will engage with the Department of Finance and individual financial institutions regarding potential risks. Actions by ECB and other global actors will be monitored closely.

In addition, I asked Bord Bia to provide practical guidance to SMEs to assist them in dealing with marketing challenges arising in the short term, and last week it announced a number of measures to support food and drink businesses. These measures cover areas such as managing volatility impacts, the provision of consumer and market insight, deepening customer engagement, and extending market reach, with the aim of helping companies maintain their competitiveness. Similar support is also being provided by Enterprise Ireland.

The other areas in which potential impacts are foreseen are in relation to tariffs and trade, the EU budget, regulations and standards, and customs controls and certification, while complex issues also arise for the fisheries sector.

However, we must remember that our trading relationship with the UK is not altered in any way until the negotiation process that will dictate the terms and conditions of the UK’s departure is completed.  In the meantime, and as part of our overall contingency planning, I have established a dedicated unit in my Department to work on all of the issues that I have mentioned. I have also convened a consultative committee of stakeholders, which met for the first time last week, to ensure a full exchange of information as the negotiations proceed. In addition, I am ensuring that the response of the relevant agencies is fully co-ordinated through a contact group established under the Food Wise 2025 High Level Implementation Committee. And of course, the Department will continue to feed into the central Contingency Framework being co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach.

Beef Exports

Questions (720)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

720. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of his efforts in gaining market access for Irish beef in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21369/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I was delighted to announce last week the decision of the US authorities to extend their approval for Irish beef to include manufacturing beef/beef intended for grinding (BIFG). This marks the culmination of over a year of intensive work between my Department and its US counterparts on a range of technical matters.

The new US decision paves the way for industry to undertake the steps necessary to trade to commence. In relation to market access for the USA, Ireland had initially received a major reputational boost in 2015 as the first EU Member State to gain access to the US market for beef and six plants are currently approved to export. By the end of December 2015 approximately 1,800 tonnes of beef, with an estimated value of €14 million, had been exported from Ireland to the US. This represents an exceptionally strong start to this trade considering that the first exports only went in March 2015 and some of the plants were only approved for export in September. That amount looks likely to be surpassed in 2016, as by the end of June, almost 1,200 tonnes had been exported.

The recent announcement by the US on our enhanced access is a huge endorsement of Irish beef and our production and regulatory systems. Ultimately the volume and value of trade will depend on a range of factors such as currency exchange rates, relative commodity prices and global supply and demand patterns. However, this recent extension of our access in the US has the capability to be a significant boost to the sector over a period of time.

US consumption of beef is estimated at 11 million tonnes, approximately 1 million of which is imported. The potential prize for Irish operators is therefore, subject to the variables already outlined, very significant, particularly in circumstances where grass fed hormone free beef is gaining traction in the market place.

It complements the other market outlets we have secured in the last two years, the development of which is a key element of our Food Wise 2025 strategy. There has also been significant progress in facilitating trade in other international markets for Irish beef. My Department continues to push strongly for market access to other Third Countries and we are currently in the process of trying to secure beef access to other third countries including China, Korea, Israel, Ukraine and Vietnam. It is my intention to continue to focus on developing as many third country markets as possible in order to provide exporters as many commercial opportunities as possible in a competitive global market place.

Question No. 721 answered with Question No. 715.

Forestry Sector

Questions (722)

Mick Wallace

Question:

722. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 1 October 2015, the details of increases in investment by his Department in forestry programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19729/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Total investment in forestry in the years 2007 to 2015 inclusive was approximately €1,021 million. This includes expenditure on grants and premiums for the establishment of new forests and other support measures such as forest roads and woodland improvement. The reference period covers the Forestry Development Programme 2007 – 2014 and the current forestry programme 2015 to 2020. Investment in forestry has decreased during this period which is mainly due to reduced premium payments year on year as forest owners received the last of their 20 year annual premiums.

Afforestation levels have also remained relatively steady over the past number of years reflecting the demand driven nature of the scheme.

The current forestry programme, which will run to 2020 includes €482 million of new forestry investment. The programme aims to plant 44,000 hectares of new forests and build almost 700 km of new forest roads. This will address the dual aims of the Department’s policy on forestry development which is to increase forest cover and provide for greater mobilisation of timber to market, both objectives to be undertaken in a manner consistent with the principles of sustainable forest management. The budget provision for forestry development for 2016 is €114m which represents an increase of €3m over 2015.

Sustainable Development Goals

Questions (723)

Mick Wallace

Question:

723. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role his Department plays in fulfilling Ireland's commitment to the United Nations sustainable development goal number 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21003/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 “Zero Hunger” aims to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”. Food security is defined by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as: “a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

At international level, Ireland’s development aid programme has a strong focus on food and nutrition, including through funding from my own Department to the UN FAO and WFP (World Food Programme). In 2015 my Department doubled its annual contribution of untied aid to the WFP to €20 million a year for each of the next three years. The WFP is the United Nations organisation responsible for the delivery of food assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. It feeds 80 million of the most malnourished people in 80 countries and significantly contributes to the goal of zero hunger.

At national level, food security is addressed through a range of Government policies providing social protection and supports for low income, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Furthermore the Food Dudes and Food Dudes Boost programmes, managed by Bord Bia and co-funded by my Department under the EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will be run in 700 national schools this year, reaching around 113,000 pupils. The mix of repeat tasting, rewards and Food Dudes role models has been shown to develop a taste for fresh fruit and vegetables leading to increased consumption which is important for health.

The Food Wise Strategy aims to grow the Irish agrifood sector in an economic, environmental and socially sustainable manner, building on our strengths in the production of safe, healthy and nutritious food. Ireland is already one of the EU’s most efficient producers of milk and beef, in terms of carbon footprint per unit of output. But under Food Wise we are implementing measures to drive down the carbon intensity of our food production even further, resulting in both economic returns and environmental sustainability.

Common Agricultural Policy Subsidies

Questions (724)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Question:

724. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the protections which will be put in place to protect farmers' basic and greening payment given the fact that the current Common Agriculture Policy agreement expires in 2020 and given the fact that these payments may decrease following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. [21374/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I have indicated on a number of occasions since the UK referendum that one of the areas in which issues are raised from an agriculture perspective is the effect on the EU budget.

The UK decision to leave the EU will result in a loss of the UK contribution to the EU budget of between 5 and 10%. This could have implications for future spending decisions in what is already a very tight budgetary framework, where the CAP accounts for some 37% of the EU budget.

However, in terms of the current budgetary framework, allocations to Member States in respect of the period up to 2020 are set out in Regulations of the European Parliament and of the Council. Any changes to these allocations would require new regulations agreed by both institutions, a process which, if even considered, would be likely to take a considerable period of time. Alternatively, the contributions of the twenty seven remaining Member States to the budget could be increased in order to ensure that the level of expenditure across all headings is maintained. It is simply too early to speculate on the likely outcome, and we must also bear in mind that much will depend on the progress of the exit negotiations between the EU and the UK, which may not even commence for some time yet.

More generally, I will of course continue to ensure that agriculture’s voice is a strong one and is fully taken into account during the mid-term review of the current Multiannual Financial Framework, and in the negotiations for the new, post-2020 Framework which are expected to commence in 2018. This will be based on the principle that the CAP makes an important contribution to the achievement of EU priorities in the area of jobs and growth, and should continue to attract the commensurate funding to ensure that this is maintained.