Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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896. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 2027 of 19 January 2022, when he expects to report on value for cultivation and use trials for uncovered maize; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16597/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As I advised in my reply of 19th January last, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine continued Value for Cultivation & Use (VCU) trials for covered maize in 2021 and produced the 2022 (plastic) Covered Recommended List detailing varieties suitable for maize producers using up existing stocks of plastic film.

In addition, the Department re-commenced VCU trials for uncovered maize in 2020 to identify varieties better suited to Irish growing conditions and which do not require plastic covering. Following the minimum three years (for statistical confidence) of trialing from 2020 until 2022 inclusive, the Department plans to produce a 2023 Uncovered Recommended List in quarter one 2023.