Published: Wednesday, 14th July, 2010 5:00pm

'Competitiveness and adaptation required'

Karel De Gucht, member of the EC in charge of trade receives, Minister Brendan Smith. Photo: EU/Benoît Bourgeois

Minister Brendan Smith underlined the importance of competitiveness and the adaptation required at farm level to the ending of milk quotas when he met EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos to discuss the negotiations on the CAP after 2013.

"I emphasised to the commissioner the need for a properly resourced common policy and for continued income support for farmers," said the minister. "Direct payments form a vitally important role in supporting and stabilising farmers' incomes and in rewarding them for the environmental and other benefits which they produce."

Minister Smith said he was pleased to receive a positive response from the commissioner on these issues.

This latest meeting with Commissioner Ciolos is one of series Minister Smith is holding with the him and with colleagues in other members states as part of a determined effort to defend Ireland's and Irish farmers' significant CAP interests.

"Dairy farmers came through an extremely difficult period last year and I welcome the initiative of the commission in establishing this group," said the minister.

"I am particularly pleased that the group recognised the benefit of the existing market support measures, such as intervention and aid to private storage, and I would see this as being significant for the negotiations on CAP post-2013.

"At last week's meeting, I also welcomed the proposals in the report to explore the possible use of other policy and market instruments, as price volatility is likely to continue in global commodity markets, and we need to have innovative and effective mechanisms in place to deal with it."

Minister Smith also met Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to discuss agricultural trade issues including WTO and the recently restarted negotiations with the Mercosur countries.

Innovation funding

Yesterday (Tuesday) Minister Smith announced details of innovation funding for small Irish companies in the food industry.

Innovation Vouchers worth €5,000 each are available to all small companies in the food sector over the next six weeks. The deadline for applications is August 20.

"Innovation Vouchers are the push that many small Irish food companies need to explore how innovation can change their business for the better, be it through new product development or the improvement of existing processes," said the minister.

"The success of the vouchers to date is due to the simplicity of the initiative. Participating companies get excellent value for money from the research teams working in the 40 institutes providing their expertise and knowledge, in Ireland and Northern Ireland. I encourage small companies in the Irish food industry to see how a little knowledge can make a huge difference to your bottom line and to make an application for a €5,000 Innovation Voucher today."

Enterprise Ireland manage the Innovation Voucher initiative which offers small companies €5,000 to obtain an innovative solution to a technical or business challenge from a Higher Education Institute in Ireland or Northern Ireland, known as 'knowledge providers'.

Companies in the following sectors can apply:

• Beverages, bakery and food technology including animal feed producers,

• Consumer food companies including those involved in horticulture, organic produce, poultry, prepared consumer foods and seafood,

• Dairy and functional foods and the primary meat sectors including those involved in the processing of beef, lamb and pigmeat, the by-products of all meat processing and those involved in the bloodstock industry.

You can apply for an Innovation Voucher and get more details on this Enterprise Ireland managed initiative on innovationvouchers.ie or by contacting Pat O'Brien, Enterprise Ireland 01-7272766.