3 Noll 2012, 14:22
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will tomorrow hear from representatives of the Irish Farm Managers’ Association on achieving goals laid out by Food Harvest 2020.
Food Harvest 2020 sets out a vision for smart, green and sustainable growth for the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors. The strategy, developed by an industry-led committee, includes ambitious targets to increase food exports by 42 percent by 2020.
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “In October and November, we heard a series of informative and thought-provoking presentations from food producer representatives, marketeers and Department Officials on achieving the targets of Food Harvest 2020. Established in 1979, the Irish Farm Managers Association includes some of the country’s most successful farmers as members. Tomorrow’s meeting provides an opportunity to hear the opinion of this distinct membership on Food Harvest 2020.
“Agri-food is the largest indigenous sector of the Irish economy and is labour intensive, employing about 150,000 people nationwide. Food Harvest 2020 recognises that the industry will be a cornerstone to Ireland’s economic recovery. As the sector is so embedded in Irish life, the export growth will have an impact far greater than that of other sectors, particularly in terms of job creation. The Committee intends to explore with the Association representatives what the further policy actions will be required to bolster the competitiveness of the sector and ensure that the ambitious export targets set out in Food Harvest 2020 are reached.”
The meeting commence with consideration of a series of EU legislative proposals. It will take place tomorrow Tuesday 4 December in Committee Room 3, LH 2000 at 2 pm.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://bit.ly/24YmPI
Ends
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 6949926
Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Membership
Deputies:
Tom Barry, Fine Gael
Pat Deering, Fine Gael
Martin Ferris, Sinn Féin
Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael
Martin Heydon, Fine Gael
Colm Keaveney, Labour
Michael McNamara, Labour
Eamon Ó Cuiv, Fianna Fáil
Thomas Pringle, Independent
Senators:
Michael Comiskey, Fine Gael
Paschal Mooney, Fianna Fáil
Pat O’Neill, Fine Gael
Mary Ann O’Brien, Independent
Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil
Susan O’Keeffe, Labour