Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

To return to Origin Green, I have been conducting some research into the organic models emerging in the United States and which have been in place for quite a while in the Basque country. They are co-operative models in which the size of a herd for particular farmers has to be below 100 head. In terms of animal welfare and achieving sustainability and strong environmental standards, there is a very strong brand that benefits farmers immensely. I am very impressed by it and in due course will place some recommendations before the committee. This touches on the questions asked by Deputy Thomas Pringle. It strikes me that the typical farm in rural Ireland would be a good fit for the organic model. I have spoken to a number of farming organisations about this matter and wonder if, in the context of the ambitions for Origin Green, the aim is to go down this road.

On the markets that have been identified, we have a grass-based model in beef and dairy farming in Ireland, of which we are very proud, but there is a concern that we are not getting the benefit in the prices achieved. I noted Ms McCarthy's remark about Lidl in Germany and how there was no premium, despite the fact that it was marketed as a special category of food which I assume is more expensive than other categories in that supermarket chain. Did I hear it correctly?