Kieran McCarthy MLA said: “We have had a great tradition of a vibrant agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. It has always been a key feature of our economy.
“I hope that this new strategy will help ensure that we maximise the great potential that there is for our agri-food sector here. The targets are ambitious, but if we are serious about improving our economy then we have to aim high.
“This strategy is something that we called for in our last manifesto and we also submitted a motion in the Assembly last September calling for such a strategy. Other neighbouring regions are ahead of us in implementing such a strategy and they have already seen the resulting benefits.
“The link up with the business sector will help improve the thinking of those in the agri-food sector who have great ideas but do not know how to turn them into successful business enterprises.”
ENDS