Written answers

Thursday, 27 October 2016

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Food Harvest 2020 Strategy

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains satisfied of achieving the targets set in Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025; if he has identified the need to review any such targets; if he foresees the need for positive incentivisation in any areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32283/16]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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 in milk production by 2020, to be progressed following the abolition of milk quotas in April last year. 

Progress on those targets was monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis. The fourth annual report “Milestones for Success 2014”, published in 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 latest data available show growth of 34% and 32% for primary production and exports, respectively, versus the baseline period.

Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July last year, is the successor to the Food Harvest strategy. 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 400 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 2025 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. 

The implementation process for any strategy is vital for its success. I chair the Food Wise High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC), with high level representatives from all the relevant Departments and State agencies. The committee reviews progress on detailed actions on a quarterly basis, in order to identify and solve problems quickly. Stakeholders regularly present to the committee meetings on their priorities for particular sectors or themes and by the end of this year, the HLIC will have reviewed in detail progress on the five cross-cutting themes and the twelve individual sectors outlined in Food Wise 2025.

The agri-food commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government align closely with Food Wise 2025. My Department has 65 detailed commitments in the Programme for Partnership. The Food Wise strategy for the sector contains detailed recommendations aimed at improving value added and productivity at farm and food industry level through a focus on sustainability, efficiency, knowledge transfer and innovation.

In July this year, I launched the first annual progress report of Food Wise 2025: Steps to Success 2016. Food Wise Steps to Success showed that, of the 330 detailed actions which were due to commence in 2015 or 2016, 28% have been achieved or substantial action has been undertaken; and a further 67% have commenced and are progressing well. I believe that this is a good start and I will press on to get as many actions as possible completed within the next year.

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