Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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119. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects agricultural production to increase throughout each sector in the next four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41990/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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125. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which indicators in respect of the Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025 remain in line with expectations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41996/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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130. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects the agri-food sector to develop over the next ten years, with particular reference to the need to remain competitive on world markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42001/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 125 and 130 together.

The main targets set out in the Food Harvest report published in 2010 were, by 2020, to increase the value of primary output by 33% and agri-food exports by 42% (both from a 2007-09 average baseline); and to increase value added production by 40% (from a 2008 baseline). In addition to these value increases, the dairy industry targeted a 50% increase inmilk production by 2020, to be progressed following the abolition of milk quotas in April this year.

Progress on these targets is monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis. The fourth annual report “Milestones for Success 2014”, published September 2014, showed that the sector had achieved very significant progress on these targets and illustrated the manner in which the Food Harvest 2020 vision of ‘smart, green, growth’ is being attained. The Milestones report showed that, compared to the Food Harvest baseline: primary output had increased by 32% in 2014; agri-food exports had increased by 27% in 2014; and value added had increased by 29% in 2012 (latest data available).

Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July this year, builds on the successful vision of Food Harvest 2020. It identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 380 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as well as specific sectoral recommendations.

If these recommendations are implemented, the expert committee which drew up the Food Wise Strategy believes that the following growth projections are achievable by 2025: increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion; increasing value added in the sector by 70% to in excess of €13 billion; and increasing the value of primary production by 65% to almost €10 billion. With regard to employment, Food Wise foresees the creation of 23,000 additional jobs in the agri-food sector all along the supply chain from primary production to high value added product development. Realising these growth projections will be challenging, but I am confident that they can be achieved.

I chair the High Level Implementation Committee, including senior officials from relevant Departments and State agencies, which will drive implementation of the Food Wise recommendations. The HLIC met for the first time in September. The second meeting today will deal specifically with sustainability, which will be at the core of the strategy’s implementation. The implementation of Food Wise will be influenced by the final Environmental Analysis Report on Food Wise, which will be presented to the HLIC today.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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120. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all meat and meat products available here and throughout the European Union continue to accurately reflect their ingredients, country of origin, and relevant quality standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41991/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Primary responsibility under EU law for the safety and traceability of food placed on the market lies with food business operators. The role of National Competent Agencies is to verify compliance with this requirement. This is done via a combination of inspecting establishments and auditing the food safety management systems which operators have in place. These controls are applied at different stages in the food supply chain.Regulation (EC) No. 178 of 2002 sets out the general principles and requirements of EU food law and stipulates that food business operators must, at all stages of production, processing and distribution within their business, ensure food law requirements are satisfied. In regard to traceability, the regulations require that food business operators have systems to identify any person who supplies the business with a food, and a system to identify other businesses to which their product has been supplied. This is referred to as the ‘one step forward, one step backward’ traceability system. There are additional requirements for certain fishery and aquaculture products under the Control Regulation (Regulation 1224/2009 and Implementing Regulation 404/2011) from first sale to subsequent stages of production, processing and distribution up to retail.

My Department has a permanent veterinary presence at all its approved slaughter plants. Controls at plants only engaged in secondary processing are carried out at a frequency based on an annual risk assessment. An annual audit of imported products is carried out in each Department-approved plant, including checks on physical identity, labelling and documentary checks for product originating in EU Member States and third countries. Labelling and documentary checks are routinely conducted by the Department.

The import of products of animal origin from third countries is governed by a comprehensive and robust legislative framework laid down at EU level, controlled by Member States in the first instance, and audited by the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), to ensure compliance with all of the relevant food safety standards. The legislation imposes health and supervisory requirements designed to ensure that imported products meet standards equivalent to those required for production and trade between Member States. Border Inspection Posts are operated by my Department. Import control procedures on products of animal and fish origin are highly prescriptive and strictly audited by the FVO to ensure compliance. Inspection finding reports are published on the FVO’s website.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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121. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take in conjunction with his European Union colleagues to protect the concept of the viability of the family farm enterprise throughout the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41992/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The 2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy was a useful and progressive reform making the CAP fit for purpose to 2020. It provided Irish farmers and the agri-food sector with policy certainty for the years to come and with strategic financial support to increase sustainability and enhance competitiveness. I will continue to work with my EU colleagues to ensure that we engage in policies that promote the interests of the EU agricultural sector. It is clear that there remain profitability issues at farm level that need to be addressed. Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July this year, builds on the successful vision of Food Harvest 2020. It identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 380 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as well as specific sectoral recommendations.