Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has said that his “top priority” is to safeguard the livelihoods of Irish farmers and food producers.
The minister said he is committed to supporting the agriculture sector and ensuring that it continues to make a “positive contribution” to the Irish economy and society.
In its updated Statement of Strategy 2023-2026, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has outlined its vision, mission and goals for the next few years.
“I am committed to supporting the sector and ensuring that it continues to make a positive contribution to the Irish economy and society, that our food offerings are safe and of a high quality.
“That our production systems are environmentally sustainable, and that agri-food enterprises; from farmers, fishers and foresters to processors are efficient and competitive,” the minister said.
The five strategic goals in the order set by the DAFM are as follows:
- Promote and safeguard public, animal and plant health and animal welfare for the benefit of consumers, producers, the economy and wider society;
- Provide income and targeted supports to famers and others in the agri-food sector to underpin the rural economy and environmental sustainability;
- Provide the optimum policy framework for the sustainable development of the agri-food sector;
- Deliver a sustainable, competitive and innovative seafood sector, driven by a skilled workforce, delivering value-added products in line with consumer demand;
- Maintain and develop strategic, operational, regulatory and technical capacity and capability to deliver excellent services to DAFM customers.
The strategy notes that these goals are underpinned by actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve water and air quality and reverse biodiversity decline.
Minister of State for land use and biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett added that the DAFM has a key role to play in ensuring that farm enterprises are economically and environmentally resilient.
“So that as a sector we can contribute to a vibrant rural economy while reducing our emissions, enhancing our farmland biodiversity and taking better care of our watercourses,” she added.
DAFM strategy
In order to improve animal and plant health to facilitate increased farm-level productivity, the DAFM aims to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and promote the use of biological pesticides.
Through the implementation of regulatory controls at farm, food and feed business operators, the strategy sets out the goal of safeguarding public health, food safety and food authenticity.
In terms of scheme delivery, the DAFM plans to reduce costs, and implement measures to improve farmer understanding and use of DAFM application systems and processes.
Another action included in the strategy is to implement the actions as set out in the National Climate Action Plan 2023 and support delivery of the sectoral emissions budgets.
The DAFM plans to work with member states and the European Commission to consider the development of a regulatory system for carbon farming, which could reward farmers for storing carbon.
The DAFM also said in its Statement of Strategy 2023-2026 that it will contribute to the “continued development of a vibrant forestry sector in Ireland”.