Agriculture study to help form economic strategy for Cork County Council
File picture: Denis Minihane
A blueprint to provide the agriculture sector in Co Cork with more targeted infrastructure and economic stimulus is to be drawn up by academics and the county council.
It is expected they will focus on the true value of agriculture, especially the dairy sector, to the region. When completed, it will form an economic strategy for the local authority and become a key part of its corporate plan for aiding the industry.
The news was announced by divisional manager Michael Lynch in response to a motion on the issue raised jointly by Fianna Fáil councillors Bernard Moynihan and deputy mayor of the county Ian Doyle.
Mr Lynch said the council fully recognises the vital importance of the agriculture industry in the county and the related spin-off industries and jobs it accounts for.
“The preparation of an economic strategy for the county is a key priority of the corporate plan and it is anticipated agriculture and related industries will play an important role in same,” Mr Lynch said.
Mr Lynch said the council recognises that collaboration with key stakeholders, including University College Cork, Munster Technological University, and Teagasc, will be central to advancing the agri-sector and supporting the rural economy/communities throughout the county.
“It will formulate ways of helping to create the conditions for developing talent, fostering innovation through research and industry partnerships, supporting rural development and sustainability. This will in turn contribute positively towards enhancing the competitiveness of the county, region and state,” he said.
Mr Lynch said a previous collaborative study was carried out by the then Cork Institute of Technology (MTU) with the council in 2014, which focused on the infrastructural commitments the council could make to aid the expansion of the dairy industry.
“Given the importance of agriculture and related industries to the economy and communities of Cork, it's now timely to arrange for the preparation of an updated study,” he added.
Mr Moynihan said it is imperative that the study is done as soon as possible, as farming faces huge challenges.
“We have 25% of the dairy cows in this country in our county. The loss of derogation would cost the county’s economy €130m. If we were faced with loss of a quarter of our pharmaceutical companies, there would be an outcry. It would be all over the media and a taskforce would be set up by the government,” Mr Moynihan said.
He said Cork “is the best place in the world to produce milk with our grass-based system” where cows are grazing outdoors for the majority of their time rather than indoors like in Germany and Holland.
Mr Moynihan said the county needs to future-proof the agriculture industry, especially as there will be pressure on it from CAP (Common Agriculture Policy) renegotiations and cheap imports of South American beef.
