Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We also had a discussion earlier about the organic sector and its potential, with the Minister of State, Deputy Andrew Doyle, and Deputy Eamon Ryan. There is huge potential on the organic side. The two sectors in which consumer demand is greatest are probably tillage and dairy. I remember being in a supermarket in South-East Asia which was part of one of the prime retail chains. It stocked Glenisk organic yoghurt. The store manager said he could sell as much of it as we could supply to him. That market is insatiable on the organic and tillage sides.

We could become quite despondent about the industry. It is critical to the future not just of the farmers directly involved in it but also to those involved in the broader agrifood space, including livestock, dairy, pig and poultry producers - Irish rations.

In the context of the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, this is a critical juncture for the tillage sector. We must make sure that, as we embark on the new architecture, there are no unintended consequences for a sector that could suffer significantly from some of the things that are on the table.

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