Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

Will the Minister of State agree there are many companies facilitating farmers in establishing the crop in the first instance and that the expertise exists? Will he acknowledge the potential for this crop and that perhaps the Government is under-valuing the potential of this crop in meeting an alternative energy need? Will he also acknowledge that there may be a reluctance on the part of farmers to switch into this crop because the scheme itself is undersold? The Government needs to do a marketing job to encourage more farmers to diversify into this crop, given the level of expertise, particularly in the east Cork and west Limerick regions where two companies who are market leaders are only itching to get more farmers under their ambit but they need a greater financial incentive.

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