At a meeting on increased value creation in agriculture, held in Hvanneyri on increasing the value of agricultural products, held by the Association of Young Farmers, the Agricultural University of Iceland and Matís recently, it was discussed how relatively simple short-term measures can have a positive long-term effect.
There was a lot of talk about transferring knowledge and methodology from the fisheries sector in the light of the experience of the Increased Value of the Seafood Support Fund (AVS) and the Technology Development Fund and adapting it to agriculture. As previously stated, the value of exported marine products compared to landed catch has increased as a result of a systematic emphasis on increased value. There was also talk of announced cuts in funding for food research (12%), which is the responsibility of the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture and beyond the budgetary restraint target (2%).
There was talk of both private and public investment in research and development compared to what is happening in Europe, America and Japan.
Sæmundur Sveinsson, rector of the Agricultural University of Iceland, summed up his closing remarks and, after hearing from the candidates, he thought that no matter what the government does, we will have a government that intends to have a strong agricultural university and a strong Matís, which are two key factors necessary to strengthen food production and its value in Iceland.