Road maps to bolster food and dairy sectors
The nine Teagasc Road Maps were launched in mid-April when the head of the organisation, Gerry Boyle, referred the “clear opportunities” unfolding for agriculture and food that will facilitate strong growth in the coming years, give sustainable incomes to farmers and protect the environment.
The report made clear that to succeed, high output will be needed from cost efficient production systems if targets under the 2020 plan are to be realised under the Food Harvest 2020 report.
Growth opportunities open to the dairy sector have been well documented, but much needs to be done to capitalise on the end of quota regime starting in April 2015.
In the food sector, the focus is on developing health enhancing foods, gut health research, new dairy products and the infant milk formula sector.
Speaking at the launch Professor Boyle said: “There are clear opportunities for the Irish agriculture and food sector to grow and develop in the coming years, while providing a sustainable income for farmers and maintaining and protecting the environment.”
Tom Kelly, director of Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, said: “In all the major enterprises, high output from cost efficient production is required to meet the targets. Growth opportunities exist in the dairy sector, while there are opportunities to add value in the beef sector.”
Teagasc pointed out that Ireland will be the EU country most exposed to the fluctuating world milk market. Teagasc claims that the Irish dairy sector will need to create more products with strong customer appeal and strengthen current brands. This requires technical innovation.
Teagasc acknowledges that research in food biotechnology is very competitive internationally and that engagement by the Irish food industry has been limited compared to that of other advanced markets.
Despite best efforts to date, the bottom line is that R&D spend here is much lower than in other developed economies.
Some of the best innovations were driven by multinationals, such as Baileys liqueur. Baileys displayed how two of our most recognised products of whiskey and cream could be combined to create an international best-seller.
Of course it is not all about big bang results like Baileys, but there is no escaping the fact that to survive in the future, we will have to try harder to stay competitive and to grow our exports.
Ireland is gradually reducing its dependence on butter manufacture, which decreased from 60% of Irish milk production in 2007 to 56% in 2009.
During the same period, the proportion of the milk going to cheese production grew from 23% to 31%, all of which points to a shifting emphasis within the Irish dairy sector as well as an ongoing ability to adapt to new circumstances.
One of the most worrying observations by Teagasc was the failure of the food sector to adequately engage in the hardcore research area with a view to developing new products.
Perhaps we are still suffering from the hand-out legacy where Europe spoon fed us for too long, allowing intervention to mop surplus stock in order to keep prices to farmers at a level that justified them staying on the land.
The emerging regime should give us no reason to fear but the sector has to heed the warnings from Teagasc that far greater focus will be needed on new products and R&D if we are to get full value from the 50% increase in milk that is supposed to be a reality by 2020.
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