Give the food industry your vote
Prioritising our lucrative food and drink export market should be top of the agenda for our new government, no matter who reigns victorious after election 2011.
Print14 February 2011
The phrase we live in interesting times has never been so apt. Interesting is of course a very glass half full way of looking at it! With a general election only weeks away, there is definite relief that change is upon us but people are also wondering if the devil we don’t yet know is better than the devil we do. Nobody seems overly enthused by the choices on offer.
The next leader will most probably be Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny, a man who doesn’t even have the bottle to take part in a live TV debate with the other prospective candidates. How can we possibly vote for a leader who can’t even articulate his party’s manifestos to the nation and seems to be scared of being shown up by opposition leaders with less support?
Whoever takes on the job as leader will be tested in many ways. One thing we’ll be watching out to see is if they’ll be astute enough to prioritise our very lucrative food and drink export market.
One of the few things that is still experiencing growth in this economy is Ireland’s export market. We excel at producing quality food and drink and have the infrasturture in place to grow this area if the resources are provided to support it.
Fine Gael has released a document outlining its five year plans for the economy called Working for our Future. What struck me was a lack of reference or mention of our export industry. Words such as enterprise, analysis and sustainable are bandied about like they’re going out of fashion but most of the proposals are as you’d expect, pretty vague.
Irish food and drink exports for 2010 increased by 11% and reached €7.9 billion, according to a recent Bord Bia report. In fact all food categories recorded increases in the past year led by the dairy industry, which jumped by €300 million or 17%. Meat and livestock exports were almost €200 million higher while drinks showed growth of €100 million. On the back of this almost two thirds (64%) of exporters have increased their sales forecasts for 2011.
Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII), the IBEC group that represents the food sector, released a statement demanding that politicians stop taking the food industry for granted and calling on them to make the sector a priority for the next government.
FDII director Paul Kelly said that the food sector has the potential to make a major contribution to economic recovery, but it is vital that the right policies are put in place. “The next Government must take steps to reduce business costs, introduce a compulsory code of practice for the grocery sector and ensure that climate change policy supports a sustainable food production base in Ireland,” he said.
According to FDII the food and drink industry employs 110,000 people and the industry is closely linked with agriculture, utilising 90% of the output of Ireland’s 120,000 farmers.
Our general reputation as a nation may be in tatters but we can still stand behind our robust and ever innovative food industry. Let’s just hope that whoever takes the reins of power has the foresight to treat it with great care and give it the attention it deserves.
Fionnuala Carolan
Editor
Related Articles
Rudimental to headline Rockshore Après Sea →
Glanbia’s performance ‘in line with expectations’ in first quarter →
Visitors meet Dunnes Stores celebrity brand partners at Ideal Homes Show →
Fans 0
Followers