Tillage expansion could generate 3,000 jobs and €540m for economy

Increased use of land for tillage could see the sector create up to 3,000 jobs and generate an extra €541m for the economy, according to a Teagasc study.

Teagasc’s ‘Development Plan for the Tillage Sector’, unveiled in Dublin yesterday, identifies profitable opportunities for increased markets that exist for the tillage sector. The plan also identifies actions and policy/legislative changes deemed necessary in order to exploit the potential to the maximum.

The plan was presented to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney. It was compiled by the Teagasc tillage crop stakeholder consultative group, whose members include Larry O’Reilly, Brendan Barnes, Tom Barry TD, Tom Bruton, Thomas Codd, Andy Doyle, Donal Fitzgerald, Michael Hoey, John O’Loughlin, and Pat Ryan.