July 21, 2010

Ireland's agricultural exports may grow by US$15.4 billion
 

Irish agricultural exports have the potential to grow by EUR12 billion (US$15.4 billion) in the next 10 years, a government report claimed.

The massive increase would be a 42% jump on export values over the last two years and would help economic growth, according to the 'Food Harvest 2020' report.

And the value of "primary output" products such as raw meat or milk, could jump by EUR1.5 billion and "value-added" products like processed meat, could increase by EUR3 billion. The report looked at fisheries, food and agriculture.

Agri-food and fisheries is Ireland's largest indigenous industry, employing 150,000 people with an annual output of over EUR24 billion.

But the implementation of the report-which contains 209 recommendations-will not be supported by new spending but instead by a reallocation of existing funds.