Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food this country's main competitors in European and global markets in the area of food exports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24981/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland faces a wide variety of competitors on EU and world markets for the range of products we export. The ability to compete on agricultural markets is based on a number of factors. These include the scale of production, exchange rates, price, points of differentiation and the degree of competition within a particular market. The liberalisation of agriculture has made the market place for an export-orientated country like Ireland more competitive. To survive in this environment, the Irish agri-food sector must improve its productivity, reduce costs of production, invest in greater levels of R&D, become even more responsive to the demands of customers and add more value to the end product.

My strategy and that of the State Agencies is to underpin the ongoing success of the food sector by facilitating the industry to maintain competitiveness and capacity to meet the demands of the market. Agri-Vision 2015 is a comprehensive action plan for the future of the agri-food sector. Built on the three pillars of Competitiveness, Innovation and Consumer-Focus, the Plan sets out a new vision for the future of the sector in the light of new changes impacting on it such as a more liberalised trade policy. It will enable my Department and the relevant State Agencies to work in tandem with farmers and the food sector to develop their full competitive potential on all markets. The Plan contains 166 specific actions under a series of headings to be implemented in the near future with the objective of ensuring that the Irish agri-food sector compares to the best in the EU and in the world in terms of competitiveness as well as knowledge base, innovation and marketing.