Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Food Harvest 2020 recognised the need to develop and strengthen the pre-existing strengths of the agrifood industry in Ireland. It has set out very ambitious targets in the dairy sector and in all mainstream enterprises in agriculture. It states that the exports of food and beverages will increase by one third to €12 billion annually. We can increase the value of primary production by our farmers and fishermen by €1.5 billion and value added in processing by €3 billion. The ending of the milk quota system in 2015 - if we can get there safely - will see perhaps at least a 50% increase in the production of liquid milk and dairy products in Ireland.

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