Message from the Minister for Agriculture, Food & The Marine

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD

& THE MARINE

I am delighted to contribute to this Catalogue for the National Ploughing Championships which is coming to you this year from Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co. Carlow. This centrally located site is an ideal location and will ensure that the Championships continue to expand and excel. In spite of last year’s inclement weather, the Ploughing drew attendances of around 240,700 visitors over the three days. This wonderful occasion, now in its 88th year, encapsulates all that is best about rural life. The Ploughing has evolved over time to accommodate a wide range of activities for both urban and rural dwellers. The Ploughing Championships plays an important role in promoting agriculture and rural pursuits, as well as protecting and maintaining important heritage and traditions. Community led events like this contribute economically, culturally and socially to rural areas. I wholeheartedly congratulate Anna May McHugh, her team and all of the volunteers involved in the event on this success.

The agri-food sector is an essential part of the social and cultural fabric of Ireland and makes a significant contribution to our economy. The sector supports rural and coastal communities particularly, providing employment for over 172,800 people and contributing 7.7% of Modified Gross National Income. Irish food is produced by farmers, fishermen and agri-food companies around the country and this locally produced food is exported to over 180 countries around the world, with agri-food exports reaching almost €13.7 billion in 2018, marking growth of over 70% since 2009, reflecting the “Food Wise 2025” message of “Local Roots Global Reach”.

The issue of Brexit is at the forefront of all of our minds. Brexit poses enormous challenges for our agri-food and fisheries sectors by virtue of their exposure to the UK market. These challenges include the drop in the value of sterling against the euro, the possibility of tariffs, as well as non-tariff barriers, including those related to Customs formalities and public health requirements. My officials and I are working within a whole of Government effort, to ensure the best possible outcome for the agri-food sector. Work on no-deal Brexit preparations has the highest priority within my Department and across Government. My Department has introduced a series of practical steps to assist the sector in preparing to address these challenges. Over the last three Budgets, the Government has taken action to assist business, and farming in particular, to navigate the challenges of Brexit. These include a series of low interest loan schemes including a new “Future Growth Loan Scheme” which will bring up to €300 million of loans to the market and will support strategic long-term capital investment in a postBrexit environment by SMEs, farmers and fishermen. This Scheme is currently open to eligible applications. Budget 2019 also saw the introduction of a €78 million Brexit Resilience Package for the Agri-Food sector. The measures include €44m of direct aid for farmers, €27m in Brexit related supports for the food industry and €7m for DAFM Brexit-preparations. Whatever the outcome of Brexit, Ireland is a committed member of the EU, with all the stability and certainty that membership brings, including access to the Single Market of over 500 million people. I have made an additional €120 million available this year through two measures specifically targeting the beef sector; the €20 million Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot and the €100 million Beef Exceptional Aid Measure. The Beef Exceptional Aid Measure is a €100 million support package for Irish beef farmers, funded by a combination of EU exceptional aid and Exchequer support, provided in light of the difficult circumstances that Irish beef farmers have been facing as a result of market volatility and uncertainty arising out of Brexit. I am keenly aware that the past few months have been very difficult for beef farmers. There has been a prolonged and exceptional period of depressed prices since last autumn, with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit, among other factors, contributing to this market disturbance. The funding provided to date is a reflection of the ongoing commitment of Government to the beef sector in challenging circumstances. Negotiations on the new CAP are still on-going in Brussels. While much progress has been made at EU level, we still have some way to go before agreement on the proposals can be achieved. The retention of an appropriate budget for the CAP post - 2020 is an absolute requirement for Ireland, and I will continue to work hard both at national and EU level towards achieving this outcome. Developing resilience to climate change represents a considerable challenge for the agriculture, forest and seafood sector. The Irish agri-food sector has a very strong reputation as a sustainable food producer. I am confident that the agriculture sector as a whole will contribute significantly to Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and society with collaboration, co-operation and collective responsibility being key in achieving this ambition and realising the potential of pro-active engagement. I look forward to meeting you all at “the Ploughing” and taking time to catch up with old friends and meeting new ones. I remain hopeful that the weather will be kinder to us this year, making it a more enjoyable event for all.