14/10/08

To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of both organic and non-organic production promotion initiatives undertaken by his Department over the past twelve months; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: (Brendan Smith) My Department has wide-ranging initiatives in place for the assistance of farmers in agricultural production including, inter alia, disease eradication programmes, animal welfare schemes, quality assurance schemes and REPS. All these schemes contribute to the production of quality products be they organic or non-organic.

An Bord Bia carries out a series of food promotion initiatives on an ongoing basis. In addition, Teagasc has a major advisory and training programme in place covering all types of farming and food production.

In relation to organic production in particular, the Programme for Government has set a target to convert a minimum 5% of acreage to organic farmland by 2012. In response, my Department launched its Organic Farming Action Plan 2008–2012 earlier this year. The Plan aims to increase production in line with market trends, to increase the knowledge base, to develop the organic market at home and abroad and to encourage the development of public procurement opportunities for organic products. Uimhir:478

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