Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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237. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the identified action in the Teagasc Crops 2030 report to establish a cross-society grouping to assess the requirements including profitability to attract new entrants and to guarantee the continuation of domestic food production; and his plans to establish the grouping. [24655/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The report on the Irish tillage sector, Crops 2030, compiled by the Teagasc Stakeholder Consultative Group, was launched recently by Minister of State Heydon. I welcome the work of the Stakeholder Group which consists of a broad range of members and reflects the diversity within the sector.

The tillage sector in Ireland is an important component of the Agri-food industry making a significant contribution of an estimated €500m (2019 farm gate prices) to overall agriculture output. The sector is a critical source of high quality grain to the animal feeding industry and straw for feeding and bedding and use in the mushroom industry.

Cereal growers also make a significant contribution to the food and drinks sector in the form of malting barley and oats for the breakfast cereals industry. This is a significant area of economic return, not just for the tillage sector itself but also for the wider rural economy. In addition there is also a small but important seed industry servicing the sector with potential for expansion in some crops.

Both I and my Department consult on an ongoing basis with tillage Stakeholders including on the content of this report. The report will also feed into the ongoing deliberations of both the CAP consultative process and the development of the Agri-Food Strategy to 2030. Working together, I am confident that the future viability of the tillage sector will be secured both in terms of economic and environmental sustainability.