The public is being urged to seek out Irish fruit and vegetables on shop shelves to support a horticulture sector currently struggling with high production costs and poor weather by Minister of State Michael Healy Rae.

“I was very disappointed to learn this week that one of Ireland’s major carrot growers is ceasing production,” the minister said.

“This concerning news underlines the fact that everyone along the food chain has a responsibility to support Irish production and producers - from the supermarkets, to the consolidators, to the consumers.”

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The carrot grower referenced by the minister was Kilkenny-based Hughes Farming Limited, to which a provisional liquidator High Court was appointed by the High Court.

“The reality is that we must all seek out Irish produce when buying fruit and vegetables and be prepared to pay a price that will sustain our local horticultural producers,” Minister Healy-Rae added.

Fair prices

“Consumers rely on supermarkets and the consolidators that serve them to do the right thing and pay fair prices to growers for their produce.

“With a sustainable price for produce, there is an opportunity to simultaneously support Irish growers and reduce Ireland’s reliance on imports.

“As a businessman myself I genuinely appreciate the challenges that growers face – with extreme weather events a particular challenge.”

Online census

Minister Healy-Rae said that an IFA-led charter designed to improve the relationships between growers and supermarkets is making headway, as he urged all parties to further progress the charter.

The minister also encouraged those in horticulture to complete the second annual online census of the sector.

“Without accurate statistics we cannot develop informed policy and supports.

"This is our opportunity to build an accurate picture of which crops are being grown in Ireland and to what value.”