Irish cereal farmers have the highest yields in the world, according to new research from Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority.
Prof Jimmy Burke, head of the crops research centre, said further developments in biotechnology "have the potential to benefit Irish farmers by up to €250 million annually".
He welcomed yesterday's announcement by Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan that the Government would spend "a record €97 million" this year on "agri-food research programmes", compared to €85 million last year.
Ms Coughlan yesterday opened a crops bioscience facility at Oak Park in Carlow which includes "a computer controlled, sealed laboratory and glasshouse complex, equipped with the most up-to-date research equipment". The new world-class facility is claimed to be suitable for the safe testing of genetically-modified crops in a "contained environment".
Teagasc scientists plan to use the new research facility to help farmers further enhance crop yields, disease resistance and nutritional content. They are already leading an international research project to map the potato genome and hope to develop new varieties following their previous success in creating the rooster crop, which now accounts for 50 per cent of the potato acreage.
She said the Government was "fully committed to research in the agriculture and food sector" as part of the overall Government strategy for science, technology and innovation 2006-13.
Noting that agriculture faced many challenges and was going through unprecedented change, Ms Coughlan said: "The priority is to ensure that the industry will operate to the highest standards, built on a strong foundation of modern scientific knowledge, skills and innovative practices so that it remains competitive in the global marketplace".
She said some of the research funding would be used to encourage the development of field crops for use in bio-diesel and bio-ethanol because "Ireland will need to reduce its dependency on imported fossil fuels and to develop sustainable energy alternatives".
She confirmed that a separate fund of €27 million, arising from the sale of some Teagasc assets, would be retained by Teagasc and reinvested in further upgrading of its research resources.
Teagasc chairman Dr Tom O'Dwyer described the Minister as "a star" and said her commitment to science, innovation, research and training in agriculture during "an age of uncertainty" was "fantastic". He had the rare pleasure, as the head of a State body, of "not looking for more money today".
"We have the money," he said, welcoming "the recognition in the [ Government] strategy that the development of a profitable and sustainable food and agriculture sector is vital to the well-being of the economy".