Speech by the Taoiseach at the IFA AGM

Firstly, I thank you for inviting me to speak here this evening on the occasion of the 60th IFA AGM.

This is an important time for Ireland’s recovery and for the future of the industry.

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge the important role of the IFA in Irish society over the last 60 years and throughout the recent economic crisis.

Agri-food sector
Government, in partnership with the industry and with farmers on the ground, saw the agri-food sector become a shining light for Ireland during the darkest days of recession.

Exports, value and quality have gone from strength to strength over the past few years where other domestic sectors struggled.
Food Harvest 2020 set out a strategy for ‘smart green growth’ mapping the future direction of the sector.

Since its launch we have seen primary output increase significantly and have effectively reached the target of a 33% increase.

2014 was the fifth consecutive year of export growth in the food and drink industry reaching yet another record high of €10.5 billion.

This fantastic growth is supported by the hard work and dedication of you and your members.

This impressive performance confirms that the agri-food sector continues to play an integral part in Ireland’s economic recovery and is our largest indigenous industry, representing €26 billion in turnover and generating 12.3% of merchandise exports.

The Future of the Industry
With this success, there is an onus on everyone to plan for the next phase of development for the sector.

How will the IFA shape Irish agriculture for the next 60 years?
The challenge for us all is what course to chart for the Irish farming and food sector.

What will it look like in 10 or even 20 years?

How do we keep Irish produce in demand internationally?

How do we get more jobs into the regions to support rural Ireland?

I’m ambitious for the future of Irish farming.

In my duties abroad promoting Ireland I see a number of trends emerging that I believe we should embrace.

Wherever I am, China, Japan, the Middle East or the United States, their people are all increasingly looking for the same thing: quality food, sustainably produced food, healthy food.

While other countries talk about quality produce, I believe Irish farmers deliver quality produce.

This is the future and is the key to long term sustainable growth.

I can foresee a future where the byword for the highest quality food and drink is Irish.

Where an American couple scan their menu for the grass feed Irish beef; where a Chinese mother clears the supermarket shelves of Irish infant formula; and a French worker enjoys a class of triple distilled Irish whiskey after a day’s work.

As we know all too well the task of building up an exemplary reputation can take years, but can be undone in a day.

Since we have entered office we have made good progress working with the IFA and farmers on the ground to prepare the sector for the next wave of expansion.

After tireless work by all stakeholders, Irish beef is now back in Japan, the United States and, hopefully in a short space of time, China.

Operating in the strait jacket since 1984, the Irish dairy industry has the potential to rapidly expand when quotas come to an end this year.

When it comes to sustainably produced food, Ireland is marching ahead with its Origin Green programme.
It is the only sustainability programme in the world that operates on a national scale uniting government and the private sector through Bord Bia.
I understand that some 45,000 Beef Farms representing 90% of Beef Exports have been audited and carbon footprinted.

Some 18,000 Dairy Farms representing 100% Milk production have entered the audit cycle, with sustainability measures being implemented across other sectors.

By building on these successes we can create new jobs across the regions.

The advancements in agriculture has seen its image transformed.

We are moving to a position where young people see agriculture as a first choice on their career path, where sustainable farming can sustain rural family life.

New blood and new ideas are leading to renewed innovation in Irish farming and Government has to respond to this change in demographics to safeguard the future of the industry.

This is why Minister Noonan and Minister Coveney introduced a raft a new taxation and policy changes in Budget 2015.

Encouraging innovation in agriculture will be essential if we are to find ways to increase global food production by 70% so that we can feed a world population of 10 billion people in 2050.

2025 Agri-Food Strategy Process
To attain the longer term vision and aspiration we all have for the future of Irish farming we have to lay out a long term plan.

The time for this debate is now and we are now considering what the agri-food industry can achieve over the next decade to 2025.

Last November, Minister Coveney launched the 2025 Agri-Food Strategy process. It will be developed by a Committee, chaired by Mr John Moloney, and comprising leading figures from the agri-food sector.

The 2025 Agri-Food Strategy will be a clear plan. It will show how we can create new jobs in a growing sector. How Irish food and drink can be the number one choice of global consumers.

The final report of the 2025 Agri-Food Strategy Committee will be presented to Minister Coveney in July this year.

Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 to 2020
Looking ahead to this year we can anticipate the roll out of the new Rural Development Programme.

The proposed measures contained in the new RDP were the subject of extensive stakeholder consultation over a period of 18 months and the feedback received informed the design of the schemes contained in the draft Programme.

There is some €4 billion in European and national funds earmarked for investment in our agri-food industry and the rural economy generally over the lifetime of the new Programme.

The allocation of this funding is a clear signal of this Government’s commitment to supporting recovery and growth in Rural Ireland.

The RDP will inject valuable investment across all farms and sectors in Ireland. It will provide support to all farmers across every region from small family farms in disadvantaged areas to those looking to expand in 2015.

The draft Programme must be formally approved by the EU Commission before it can be rolled out nationally. Minister Coveney’s Department is currently working on securing that approval as a matter of priority.

Jobs & Securing Economic Recovery
I hope I have outlined this evening how the argi-food sector has, and will continue to be, at the heart of our recovery strategy for Ireland.

No plan to get Ireland working again would be complete without strong supports for an industry that accounts for 170,000 jobs across the entire country.

This Government has plan for our country. A plan for recovery. A plan for growth. A plan for Jobs. And it is working.

Unemployment has been dropping steadily. 80,000 new jobs have been created since we launched our Action Plan for Jobs. We are targeting the creation of another 40,000 jobs this year on the road to full employment by 2018.

While we have made progress our recovery is still fragile and vulnerable to threats and shocks.

While maintaining a responsible approach to the national finances we want to use the flexibility of a growing economy to target measures that can grow our economy and create jobs.

Farm safety
Before I conclude I want to reflect for a moment on just how important the life, health and well-being of each of your members is, and to consider how vital it is that we maintain the highest standards of safety on our farms.

I am conscious that I am speaking against the tragic background of recent events in the South East.

No one knows the reality better than all of you here this evening.

I urge each and every one of you to make your farm the safest place to work in 2015.

Help each other. Speak up. Lend a hand. Do so in the proud tradition of the IFA which has stood strong for farmers for six decades now. There is no more important battle for you to fight than the one against on-farm injuries and deaths.

Conclusion
Can I conclude by expressing again my pride in the work of all involved in this sector, and the families and communities that keep rural Ireland vital.

I commend each of you for your participation in this work and I thank you for your continued commitment to the sector. I wish each of you success with your endeavours during 2015.

Finally, I would like to personally acknowledge the immense contribution of Mr Michael Treacy to the organisation over the past 25 years.

Michael, in representing Ireland and the IFA in Europe, you have done the country a great service throughout your career. I think we can all agree here that Irish agriculture has benefited massively from your encyclopaedic knowledge of the European political and bureaucratic institutions!

I wish you the very best in your retirement.

Thank you and enjoy the evening.