Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

It is with some concerns that we have introduced our AgriVision 2015 document. With the background of the world trade talks, competitiveness and many of the pressures within the manufacturing sector, it was decided that we would support primary processing, Annex I, on the basis that we need to encourage and support this export-orientated sector to be competitive and to possess the standards under which they can afford to be competitive. It was under this drive, particularly in the dairy sector, that such an investment has been made.

If we change our product mix, and if we develop the product qualitatively and can deal with a number of opportunities at innovation level, we also will have opportunities to exploit a market which, as Deputy Nolan correctly stated, has been good to Ireland and to Irish farming. If we do not reach a particular level of exports, we will not survive in the future. The methodologies and policies on which we are working to ensure that happens are ones such as the quota exchange that is taking place in the reform of the quota regimes, supporting some of the concerns expressed on the implication of statutory instruments and, most particularly, that the processing sector would get an investment to afford it the opportunity to be competitive, to innovate and to look towards the market and the consumer. The harsh reality is that when the present Common Agricultural Policy reform is changed, Irish farmers and producers must be in a position to move on from some of the existing structures. We provided this significant investment to allow that to happen. Having spoken to a number of company chief executives, I am aware that there are fine projects which will allow us be more competitive and give us more product mix.

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