The agriculture chapter of the programme for government, initial details of which came to light yesterday, Sunday, June 14, is now emerging in full, with the final programme for government due to be signed-off on soon.

The leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are meeting today, Monday, June 15, to iron out some final issues. There is speculation that the document will be finalised later on today.

The agreement commits the three parties to improving farm incomes and protecting “the family farm for future generations”.

Stay tuned to AgriLand for continuing coverage of the whole agriculture chapter of the document.

The new government will continue the current Government’s commitment to contributing more to the overall EU budget, if it is spent on measures that “advance the European ideal”.

“The CAP must continue to deliver on high standards of food production, food security, farm incomes, improvements on animal welfare and better environmental outcomes,” the document says.

The document aims to “protect and enhance the incomes and livelihoods of family farms as the agriculture sector embraces the mission of delivering on climate change and biodiversity objectives, while building on its achievements as a world-class producer of quality food”.

The three parties are, according to the document, “fully committed to the future of the beef sector and the work of the Beef Market Taskforce”.

The next government is committed to “investing strategically” in the dairy sector, focusing on greater efficiency and sustainability.

The government will also continue to develop new markets for dairy produce.

The prospective government aims to support the sheep sector through the next CAP and maintaining farm incomes in the sector.

Part of this will be to deliver on further export opportunities for sheep produce. The parties also say they are committed to protecting the sector’s interests in trade negotiations.

The next government will also undertake a review of the potential demand in domestic and international markets for wool products.

The three parties agree to work with tillage farmers to build growth in the sector through a successor strategy to Food Wise 2025.

The next government will pay particular focus to “maximising opportunities” in the organic sector and the potential for home-grown proteins in animal feeds.

On the pig sector, future investment in the sector will focus on energy efficiency, biosecurity and animal welfare, with animal health being a particular area of concern.

The next government will also work with stakeholders on opening new markets for pig produce.

In the poultry sector, the parties also agree to support further investment, particularly on areas of welfare, biosecurity and energy efficiency.

In the horticulture sector, the document outlines that the parties will look to encourage expansion and growth. Investment will also be made in the promotion of Irish horticulture products, and to enhance capital investment.

Finally, on fibre crops, the potential for growing these crops – such as hemp – will be fully explored.

Stay tuned to AgriLand for further coverage of the agriculture chapter in the programme for government.