AN ACTION group to oversee the implementation of a report on the horticulture sector has been established by the Government.
The Food Harvest 2020report, which was launched in July, aims to grow food and beverage exports by more than 40 per cent to €12 billion annually and to increase the value of primary production of farmers and fishermen by €1.5 billion by 2020.
While the domestic market takes most of Irish horticultural output, which is estimated at €370 million annually, mushroom exports to the UK are valued at more than €100 million and 20 per cent of output is in amenity horticulture.
Minister of State for Horticulture Ciarán Cuffe, who made the announcement, said the industry had considerable potential to develop, although it faced considerable challenges.
Its remit, he said, was to focus on the implementation of the particular recommendations in the report relating to horticulture and to also consider other general farm and agriculture industry-level recommendations.
The group will report back to the high-level implementation group, which has been set up under the overall chairmanship of Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith, he said.
The group consists of Kieran Dunne, nursery stock producer; Caroline Keeling, wholesaler and protected crop producer; John Hogan, field vegetable producer; Lavinia Walsh, mushroom producer; Maurice Whelton, potato producer; Mike Neary, An Bord Bia; Jim O’Mahony, Teagasc; and Gabriel Roe, of the Department of Agriculture.
The group is to hold its first meeting tomorrow.