Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD has issued a statement about a Monday 7 March meeting of the Food Vision Dairy Group, which was established to advance the actions for the dairy sector identified in the Food Vision 2030 strategy, taking account of the requirement for the dairy sector to contribute to achieving the targets set for the agriculture and land use sector in the Climate Action Plan 2021.
Details
According to statement published on Gov.ie, Minister McConalogue indicated that the group has had discussions on a variety of issues including the calculation of the current emissions inventory, pathways to reductions in nitrous oxide emissions and the challenge facing the dairy sector in terms of stabilising and then reducing emissions.
Statement By Minister McConalogue
The aforementioned statement published on Gov.ie included Minister McConalogue's statement about the meeting on Monday 7 March, in which he said, "My understanding is that the meetings to date have been characterised by constructive engagement on a range of complex and difficult issues. These discussions necessarily involve open engagement on a variety of options for the development of the sector and the control and reduction of emissions. It is certainly not the case that my department has any proposals for the re-introduction of quotas or limits on dairy production. There is no predetermined outcome involved and I have tasked the committee with reflecting on the challenges facing the sector and reporting to me when they have considered all options.
"While nothing is off the table, similarly, there are absolutely no concrete proposals already defined by the department. This is an industry-led group made up of those who make up our critically important dairy sector; farmers, co-ops, processors, department officials and scientists led by a committed and skilled chair in Prof Gerry Boyle. I trust this committee with bringing forward a complete and well-thought-out options paper in due course.
"For my part, I welcome the fact that the proceedings at the committee so far have been open and constructive, and I look forward to seeing the results of its deliberations. I am confident that its deliberations will inform the important work of ensuring the dairy sector continues to make a vital contribution to employment creation and the rural economy, while supporting efforts to meet our national climate change and environmental obligations. The dairy sector will continue to be a key component of our agri-food sector and overall economy. I want to ensure that the sector remains strong and robust into the future and will continue to be an avenue for farm families to generate a fair income for generations to come."
© 2022 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
