Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I see the point, but the margin along the food chain is the key. If one looks at the output figures nationally, the output of beef is a little higher than dairy output and yet the primary producer is not garnering an income from the sale of the product in the marketplace. The figures are available which support this. That is not sustainable in the long-term. This study is very important in terms of feeding information into the implementation group that will oversee the targets in Food Harvest 2020. The report identifies and highlights the threat to the sector. That is very important. If I were to make a suggestion, it would be that this report needs to feed into the implementation bodies' strategy for the dry stock sector. We will publish a report on the margins in the grocery sector. We are limited in what we can do, but it is all part of the policy. The support measures which are in the form of direct payments are aimed at improving efficiencies and productivity inside the farm gate and the ability to make a profit from the market That is what must happen in the long-term. In all likelihood the next Common Agricultural Policy will focus on the market more than on income support.