Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
594. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which a specific plan for the pigmeat industry continues in this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35538/23]
View answerThe continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for the Government, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context.
The sector supports approximately 8,000 jobs spanning production, slaughter, processing, feed manufacture and services. I was acutely aware of the challenges pig farmers faced last year and I responded accordingly to provide them with very significant support.
In June 2022, I announced the opening of applications for the Pig Exceptional Payment Scheme 2 (PEPS2). A total fund of €13 million was made available for this voluntary scheme for pig farmers, to support the viability of this important sector.
The PEPS2 scheme was in addition to the Pig Exceptional Payment Scheme which I announced in February 2022. This scheme was funded by the Exchequer and provided for a payment of up to €20,000 per farmer. These financial supports were part of a wider package of measures to support the pigmeat sector, including intensified efforts by Bord Bia to promote quality assured Irish pigmeat in the domestic and export markets, and intensified efforts by Teagasc through its dedicated, ongoing advisory supports.
My Department continues to monitor the markets and any impacts on the agri-food sector. In addition, my Department facilitates regular meetings of the Pig Roundtable which is the forum for discussing the strategic development of the sector. This Group is comprised of all the key stakeholders in the sector including representatives from the farming and processing sectors, Teagasc, Bord Bia, and Department officials. The Roundtable operates with the context of Food Vision 2030 which is the overall strategy for the Irish agri-food sector. The Roundtable's overarching objective is to serve as a vehicle for constructive discussion in driving forward the development of the sector as well as taking a high level approach to guiding the implementation of the actions for the sector set out in Food Vision 2030.
I will continue to work closely with stakeholders to ensure the long term viability of the sector.
