James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's Topical Issue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine the amount, in tonnes, of sheepmeat being imported into and exported from the State each year. That is the question I will answer.

The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, thanks the Deputy for raising this important issue, that being the amount, in tonnes, of sheepmeat being imported and exported. We all recognise the challenging market conditions our sheep farmers have faced this year compared with recent years and the Minister has spoken previously about the significant contribution sheep farming makes to rural Ireland.

Beef and sheep farming account for most farm enterprises and they are at the heart of social and economic sustainability in rural areas where other economic activity can often be limited. They are also the systems most reliant on direct payments and where economic viability is very often challenging.

Food Vision 2030 is our shared strategy for the sustainable development of the agrifood sector until the end of the decade. Farmers are central to that strategy. The economic viability of our sheep farmers is crucial, not just in terms of their ability to earn a decent livelihood and return on their endeavours, but also in helping to deliver on environmental and social sustainability. The food vision strategy commits us to promote Irish grass-fed beef and lamb as premium products nationally and internationally. The Minister will continue to support Bord Bia’s marketing and promotional activities in both domestic and international markets.

The Minister has also established the Food Vision 2030 beef and sheep group, which plays a critical role in plotting a future for the sector. Chaired by Professor Thia Hennessy, the group has met twice this year to hear the contributions of stakeholders and agree the way forward in implementing the food vision actions collaboratively in light of the overall climate action targets for the sector.

Ireland exported sheepmeat to more than 30 markets last year, which is a mark of the world-class product produced on our farms. Sheep production is a vital source of income for many farmers and provides the raw material for the export of more than 66,000 tonnes of raw sheepmeat meat worth €453 million last year. Imports during the same period amounted to 9,000 tonnes and were worth €59 million. Approximately 15% of the lamb produced in Ireland is consumed domestically, with the balance being exported. Bord Bia is intensifying its marketing and promotion of Irish lamb this year through its activities in domestic and export markets. For example, an additional lamb campaign in the domestic market focused in particular on attracting younger consumers to eating lamb. Television advertising campaigns from September to October will coincide with peak supply months. However, we must continue to look at the global picture, with sheep export markets remaining critical.

Over the past decade, the Department has agreed bilateral sheep meat export certificates for many international markets, most recently with Japan in 2019 and the USA in 2022.

The Irish sheep sector is critically dependent on international trade and, therefore, on a multilateral trading system operating under EU and international trading rules. Any meat imported from third countries, including Great Britain, is subject to certification requirements and the import control system operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine at border control posts. The traceability standards of Irish sheepmeat are strictly enforced through our regulatory system.

If we want to maintain sheep farming as a system, we need continued targeting of farm income supports while increasing the return from the marketplace. The Minister recognises that margins in sheep farming have been under pressure as a result of increased input costs as well as lower prices, which are below the record levels achieved in recent years.

It should also be acknowledged that the Department provides significant support to the sector in the form of a dedicated sheep improvement scheme under the new CAP strategic plan, CSP, and through a broad range of other CSP schemes in which sheep farmers can participate. These include the agri-climate rural environment and organic farming schemes, which are particularly suited to sheep enterprises or mixed beef and sheep enterprises and which are likely to provide higher direct payments to sheep farmers this year. The Minister also encourages sheep farmers to consider forming producer organisations, the set-up costs for which are also supported by the Department under the CSP.

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