High-level group to set out vision for agriculture
Mr Walsh said yesterday the Agri-Food 2010 Report, published in March, 2000, captured the essence of change on the horizon at that time. Since its publication major developments had taken place in the CAP particularly under the Luxembourg Agreement of last June and there are also the ongoing WTO talks.
Mr Walsh said he believed the time was opportune to revisit the 2010 Study and identify issues and opportunities in the new situation running up to 2015. It is generally accepted that the sector is entering into a period of profound change and it is critical that the correct strategies are identified.
The group being established is drawn from farming, the food industry, research, academia and state agencies with a direct interest in the agriculture and food industries.
Alan Dukes is a former Fine Gael Agriculture Minister, who is a widely recognised as an authority on the sector.
In Dublin yesterday, Mr Walsh also launched an intensive Teagasc advisory programme aimed at helping farmers to adapt to the radical changes in EU policy which come into effect from next January.
The programme focuses on providing expert support to farmers in assessing the implications of the new policy and in gearing production to real market needs.
Teagasc director Jim Flanagan said the complete decoupling of EU payments from production will force every farm family to fundamentally examine their production systems.
