GRANTS OF €16.7 million for the horticulture, livestock marts and small meats sector should bring an overall investment of €70 million, Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith has said.
He was announcing details of the grant-aid under his department's marketing and processing scheme.
He said the grant aid would benefit 66 enterprises and was critically important and a very significant boost for the sectors to help them improve their competitiveness.
The grants were also aimed at helping to increase the added-value of agricultural products through improved processing facilities, storage, handling and marketing facilities.
Mr Smith said the investment of €3.6 million in 22 marts would "contribute significantly to environmental improvements".
He added that apart from the investment in the marts, €7.8 million was being invested in 31 projects in the meat sector and a further €5.4 million in 13 horticultural projects.
"The geographic spread of the beneficiaries and the proposed overall investments of €70 million will generate significant economic activity throughout the country over the next few years," Mr Smith said.
"This investment will create significant employment during the construction stage of the new facilities and will also create additional job opportunities in the agri-food sector which is so important in generating revenue from export earnings," he said.
Minister of State for Agriculture Trevor Sargent said the grant aid was a recognition by the Government that food security was of fundamental importance to Ireland.
"The focus of this grant aid is to maintain the competitiveness of Irish agriculture and thereby to ensure the Irish public has ongoing access to the freshest, locally grown food in the interests of public health and wellbeing," Mr Sargent added.