John Curran
Ceist:132 Mr. Curran asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food her key priorities for the development of the agri-food sector. [24474/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 27 June 2006
Ceisteanna (117)
Freagraí scríofa
My key priorities for the agri-food sector are to increase its competitiveness, strengthen its emphasis on innovation and research and improve its consumer focus. The actions to achieve these priorities are set out in the Agri-Vision 2015 Action Plan which I launched recently.
This Plan is based on a well-founded belief that the Irish agri-food sector, including our farmers, and our food and drink manufacturers, can compete with the best in the world when that objective is pursued with sufficient focus, determination and skill. The Plan sets our a new vision for the future of the sector in the light of new changes impacting on it such as the change to a decoupled payments regime, a more liberalised trade policy, changes in lifestyle, the clear emergence of technology and R&D as significant market drivers and major changes in the structures of farming and retailing.
This Plan sets out our positive vision for the future of the sector. It underlines the fact that delivering safe, high-quality, nutritious food, produced in a sustainable manner, to well-informed consumers in high-value markets is the optimum road for the future of the Irish agri-food sector. There are over 160 actions that are being or will be taken to fulfil this vision and the process of implementing these actions is now underway.