In this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, we include our annual Irish Farmers Journal/KPMG Agri business report. We look at the opportunities and challenges for Irish agriculture as it competes to feed 50 million people across a global market. The projections that population growth will require food production to double by 2050 should in no way be seen as securing our future. We must be prepared to adapt the product offering, continually innovate and harness a clear understanding of consumer requirements in emerging markets if we are to prosper as an industry.

Meanwhile, inside the farm gate, farmers must be given the freedom to compete. In today’s environment, the lack of policy alignment within the EU to meeting global food production challenges represents the biggest threat for both Irish and EU farmers. If Ireland is to contribute and prosper within a global market, a significant refocus of EU policy, specifically in relation to the CAP supporting active productive farmers, is clearly required.

At national level, we must ensure that the importance of the sector in underpinning our national economy is not forgotten. We would like to thank KMPG for their ongoing support for this report.

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