Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on the future of cereal growing here; his plans to develop and expand this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43865/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The maintenance of an efficient and viable cereals sector in Ireland is clearly of the utmost importance. In addition to generating an income for our tillage farmers, it is a key source of feedingstuffs for the livestock sector. Annual cereals production in Ireland has fluctuated around 2 million tonnes in recent years. It is desirable to try to sustain this level of production in order to avoid over-dependence on imported cereals.

This year's harvest was very difficult for Irish grain growers due to adverse weather conditions throughout the summer, particularly at harvest time. Latest estimates put total grain production for the 2009 harvest in the region of 1.8 million tonnes, which would be somewhat below the long-term average production of 2 million tonnes. Current indications for the 2010 harvest are that the area sown to winter wheat, which is our main winter crop, is down by 30% on last year. Conversely winter barley sowings are reportedly up by 20%, as farmers consider their options in the current climate.

EU policy regarding the cereals market is determined within the framework of the CAP. Irish cereal farmers, following the decoupling of the direct payments from production, are now in a position to respond to market signals. With the cushion of the single payment, they can focus on supplying market requirements, minimising production costs and maximising their incomes. Under the CAP Health Check agreement of December 2008, compulsory set-aside of tillage land was abolished, further allowing growers to maximise their production potential.

The State supports the development of the cereals sector in a number of ways. My Department operates a range of services aimed at improving the efficiency, quality and viability of cereal production. These services include seed certification, seed testing, recommended lists of varieties etc. In addition, Teagasc provides comprehensive research, training and advisory services for cereal producers. The value of all these support services is reflected in the fact that Irish cereal producers have consistently achieved some of the highest yields in the world. I believe the outlook for cereal growing in Ireland is quite positive and that Irish cereal producers are well positioned to meet the competitive challenges ahead.