Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 570: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps he will take to develop the agri-food sector. [21160/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Food Harvest 2020 (FH2020) strategy represents the strategic blueprint for the development of the agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry sector for the next decade. Its implementation, as well as the parallel negotiations at EU level to ensure an appropriate CAP policy and EU Budget framework post 2013, are the strategic steps which I am pursing to develop the agri-food sector.

Actions have already been taken to progress implementation of Food Harvest 2020. I chair the High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC) which has been established specifically to ensure a fully joined up effort on the part of State bodies in the implementation of FH2020; to encourage proactive engagement by the agri-food industry and private sector with the implementation process; and to act as a "clearing house" for issues relating to the development of the sector.

Actions taken include

A call for research proposals targeted on the priorities identified in Food Harvest 2020.

The establishment of the Agri Research Expert Advisory (AREA) Group to facilitate input from the agriculture industry into primary research programmes.

A Dairy Expansion Activation Group, comprised largely of private sector representatives, has already published its Dairy Sector Road Map, setting out the actions required by the sector to achieve the target 50% increase in milk production by 2020.

The Beef 2020 Activation Group has reported back to the HLIC on its proposals to drive the implementation of the beef related recommendations of FH 2020.

Bord Bia, Teagasc and the UK Carbon Trust are collaborating to verify and improve the sustainability aspect of Bord Bia's Beef Quality Assurance Scheme.

The 'Brand Ireland' concept is being developed initially through the work of Bord Bia.

I am continuing to work to make substantial progress towards the achievement of the agri-food industry targets and next week I am producing the substantive progress report on what has been achieved over the past year under Food Harvest 2020.