Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2021
351. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on putting in place funding for farm-led trialling of organic protein crops that could be produced in Ireland to reduce reliance on imported soy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4941/21]
View answerIt is recognised that there is insufficient supply of organic proteins and organic grain to meet demand for livestock feed in the organic sector. It is acknowledged that there is a need both for promotion and further research on organic protein crops.
In this regard, through the Organic Demonstration Farm Programme run by my Department and Teagasc, organic protein crops have featured prominently over the years demonstrating best practices in relation to varietal selection, husbandry and maximising the use of protein crops on farm.
Teagasc has recently established a significant research programme on protein crops with the aim of reducing the dependence on imported proteins. The research, which includes linkages with EU partners, focuses primarily on beans but also includes other legumes. This research coupled with the protein support scheme and the support of the feed industry has underpinned the quadrupling of protein crop production within the last decade. Research is also being conducted on forage and grazing legumes including red clover which can further help reduce imported dietary protein needs. Work is mainly focused on agronomy with some breeding input, and some of these trials are conducted using low levels of chemical and fertilizer inputs.
The organic protein crop sector is small in terms of land area and market size but has potential to grow in the future. The existing research based on low inputs provides a platform for future organic research by providing improved crop physiology and crop production knowledge that would inform organic production systems.
Organic combi-crops, which are a mixture of cereals and proteins, are becoming increasingly popular on organic livestock farms, and are recognised as a simple cost-effective way to grow cereals and protein to feed livestock. Successful growing of organic protein crops will be highly important in growing the organic sector in Ireland.
