Question Time - Regional food programme

Monday 28 June 2010

(Agriculture and Rural Development)

A range of projects have been funded in the past year to promote the quality of our regional food.

Mr Burns: The regional food programme is now closed to applications. Therefore, would the Minister consider it beneficial to the local food industry to introduce a promotional programme that would continue to deliver the aims of the regional programme?

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Michelle Gildernew): The budgetary pressures that all Departments face dictate that all work areas must be scrutinised to assess their importance and relevance to the industry. Evaluations and feedback from the stakeholders who utilise the programme will be taken into consideration when taking funding decisions about the future of the programme. However, I am pleased to inform the Member that the regional food programme will continue in 2010-11. From the first tranche of applications, several projects have received letters of offer to assist them in the delivery of their food promotion projects.