Stephen Cadogan: Happy to produce €10 billion per year more by 2025

The Food Wise 2025 target to increase the value of agriculture, forestry and fisheries output by 65% — to €10 billion — has raised eyebrows.

One of those to question this very ambitious target is Alan Matthews, professor emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College.

He points out that you have to go back to the ‘golden age’ for the Irish agri-food sector, following EU membership in the 1973-84 period, for anything near a precedent.