Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the agri-food industry continues to remain competitive and remunerative, and is continuing to grow, keeping in mind climate change requirements and the necessary levels of food production to ensure adequate supply for home and export markets, and the avoidance of food shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38136/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s agri-food sector is our most important indigenous exporting sector, playing a vital role in Ireland’s economy, especially in rural and coastal areas. My aim is to ensure its ongoing economic, environmental and social sustainability for the benefit of all the sector's stakeholders, particularly our farm families, who are the backbone of the sector and rural communities. The sector will continue to be underpinned by our world class livestock and tillage sectors, and it is critical that we work collectively to achieve our environmental targets, while maintaining food production. Ireland is currently ranked the second most food secure country in the world, according to the Global Food Security Index 2022.

'Food Vision 2030', our shared stakeholder-led strategy for agri-food, developed for the sector by the sector, sets out the ambition for Ireland to become a “World leader in Sustainable Food Systems” over the next decade and sets down the roadmap for this vision to become a reality. Food Vision is delivering significant benefits for the Irish agri-food sector itself, for Irish society and the environment. In demonstrating that the Irish agri-food sector meets the highest standards of sustainability – economic, environmental, and social – this approach will also provide the basis for our future competitive advantage.

The sector accounts for some 6% of Modified Gross National Income and employs around 171,400 people, or 6.4%, of the total workforce. Agri-food exports are a key part of the success story, as we export some 90% of the dairy, beef and sheep meat that we produce to over 180 countries around the world. Export values of agri-food products reached €18.3 billion last year. The sector has ambitions to increase the value of agri-food exports even further. However, in order to achieve this ambitious export target, we will need to ensure that the path forward is built around sustainable, steady value growth.

Last year was a challenging one for farm incomes, however the outlook for this year is much improved. It is good to see evidence of significant reductions in input costs and a recovery in output prices. This should see incomes recover for 2024, albeit that weather conditions this year have been challenging and there is still some uncertainty over the outlook.

The Government will continue to support farmers as we continue to make payments under the largest ever €9.8 billion CAP Strategic Plan and via specific sectoral supports. This underpins the sector’s environmental ambition and on-farm sustainability, while at the same time supporting farmer incomes.

Despite the many challenges of recent times, our family farms have demonstrated adaptability and resilience, continuing to deliver safe and nutritious food for Irish and international markets. Living in uncertain times, we need our farm families producing safe, sustainable, and high-quality food more than ever. The Government supports our farm families to do that and we will continue to do so.