STRATEGY:UP TO 4,000 jobs could be created in the next decade with the implementation of a plan for the agri-food sector, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said yesterday.
He was speaking at the publication of the Food Harvest 2020 report, a 10-year strategy for the development of the agri-food, drinks, forestry and fisheries sector.
It was drawn up by a committee of 30 senior figures from the agri- food sector, who were appointed by Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith.
Mr Cowen said agriculture was depicted by some commentators as “a thing of the past” but it would play a key part in the restructuring of the economy.
“At a time perhaps in the last decade when we’ve seen employment reduced by 1,500 in the agri-food sector, we see the prospect of 3,500 to 4,000 jobs being created by 2020 under these plans,” he said.
Mr Cowen pointed out that 150,000 people were directly employed in the sector which had a gross annual output of almost €24 billion. The report’s 209 recommendations include plans to boost milk and beef production, increase food and drink exports by 42 per cent, and increase the value of farm and fishery production by €1.5 billion.
Mr Cowen said the ending of the milk quota system in 2015 presented “a great opportunity” for “smart green growth” and a 50 per cent increase in milk production was targeted.
He said grass-based agriculture should be aggressively promoted in international markets.
Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith said the targets set by the committee were challenging but were also achievable.
“Acting smarter also means rethinking our business relationships, targeting new customers, increasing skill levels and being innovative along every part of the supply chain, from farm to fork.”
He said the agri-food industry can, and must, improve its cost competitiveness by 20 per cent, relative to its competitors.
Mr Smith said the report’s recommendations were “not just a wish-list to be presented to the taxpayer”.
He said he was determined that agriculture would play a key role in the economic recovery and he would now establish and chair a high-level group to implement the recommendations.
The report group’s chairman, Dr Seán Brady, said the report highlighted the need for innovation, investing in research and focusing on what the consumer wants.
“Secondly, we must be green. We must build in a meaningful way on our green image to scientifically prove, and then market, the environmental sustainability of our food production systems,” he said.
“This is a key competitive advantage for us if we can prove to our international customers that we really are more sustainable than other potential suppliers.”
