National Development Plan central in PD agri-food policy

LIKE Fianna Fáil, the Progressive Democrats have built their agri-food policy around the €8 billion National Development Plan for agriculture and food launched by the Government earlier this year.

Going ahead with the six-year plan’s €1.7bn spend on agriculture and forestry, €290 million on food industry infrastructure and marketing and €6m on the public aspect of the agri-food sector — particularly its contribution to the environment — is central to the PD manifesto.

But the non-business needs of rural dwellers also figure high on their agenda.