The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has called for the Food Vision Tillage Group to continue functioning to ensure the implementation of its final report, which was published today (Tuesday, May 14).
Bobby Miller, the chair of the IGGG, told Agriland that the group does not want “another report sitting on a desk”.
The Food Vision Tillage Group report is the third of three Food Vision reports that have been published across different sectors.
The Food Vision Dairy Group report, and the Food Vision Beef and Sheep Group report, have both been published over the course of the last two years.
This latest report on tillage contains 28 recommendations grouped into 10 policy areas.
Miller said that the IGGG – a member of the Food Vision Tillage Group – had recommended that the group continue to function even after the publication of the report to that its implementation could be monitored.
“The stakeholder group needs to ensure that this report is acted on, and on of the recommendations from the IGGG was that the group keeps functioning as a group to make sure the recommendations are being implemented.
“We don’t want another report sitting on a desk,” he added.
Responding to the report, the IGGG chairperson called for Irish-produced grain to be held in the same regard as dairy and meat produced here.
“We need a structure put in place so that native Irish grain is recognised via policy and regulation. We just cannot have the current situation ongoing, where native Irish grain is treated the very same as imported by-products from all around the world,” Miller said.
“We do need to get specific recognition for native Irish grain, and the sooner the better. That will hopefully lead to a premium being paid for native Irish grain,” he added.
He also called for the development of the plant-based sector here as an outlet for Irish grain.
“There’s enough research done at this stage. It’s time for investment in processing facilities. The markets are there, the customers are there, but there is no supply. Obviously there is a vacuum there that the tillage industry could quite easily step into in regard to the protein end of the house.”
In terms of financial security, the tillage farmer called for government and industry to “kick-start” crop insurance measures to protect growers.
Irish Grain Growers Group
Miller also said that the drinks industry required further development as an outlet for Irish grain.
“We need to escape from producing grain specifically for the feed market. We need to be supplying primary processing, and then having the by-product available for the feed industry.
“We’re competing with by-product from around the world and that’s not a goof place to be to secure the future of the tillage sector,” he added.
He acknowledged that the sector’s carbon footprint needed to be reduced, but called for financial support to make that happen.
“We recognise as a group that it’s an area we need to improve on but we need schemes or programmes put in a place to support,” Miller said.