Buying Irish is key to jobs and food exports

THE threat posed to Irish food firms by rising costs and the difficulties engulfing the economy was high- lighted recently by the Irish Food Writers’ Guild (IFWG).

Local food producers risk being forced out of business by low-quality cheap imports, the IFWG warned, with artisan and small- to medium-scale food producers seen as particularly vulnerable, the guild’s chairperson Orla Broderick said.

She chose the occasion of the guild’s annual producer awards to raise her concerns for the future of a key part of our indigenous food sector.

For the record, this year’s winners were Janet Drew for Janet’s Country Fayre Beetroot Blush; Brian and Lindy O’Hara for Coopershill House Irish Venison and Pat O’Neill for O’Neill Foods Dry Cured Rashers, Bacon and Ham.

John Flahavan of Flahavan’s oat products, for fostering the growth of organic oats in Waterford and surrounding counties and for his use of oat husks as fuel for the production process and for heating the mill and office buildings.

A lifetime achievement award was also given to Derek O’Brien, former head of the baking department at the Dublin Institute of Technology and head of the Baking Academy of Ireland, for his dedication in passing on his skills to the next generation of bakers.

All five winners were representative of so many indigenous producers who were the lifeblood of the food industry in Ireland, Ms Broderick said.

At a time when so much is riding on the food sector delivering strong export growth, she stressed the need for local producers to be given the support needed to ensure their survive.

She called on Irish retailers and consumers to lend added support to Irish foods at this critical time.

The pressure on incomes in the current hostile economic climate is pushing more people towards cheaper food sources and to outlets such as Lidl and Aldi.

This is happening at a time when the state has been championing Ireland as The Food Island. This key area of the economy has much more to offer, despite the huge gains seen at local level where cottage industries and small to medium sized players in the food sector have started to play a far bigger role in helping to boost the level of food output in Ireland.

Broderick argues if retailers fail to make room on the shelves for indigenous producers then their chances of survival reduce.

If consumers fail to buy Irish, and indeed pay that bit more for what they get, Broderick warned many small to medium-sized producers will shut down and the impact on jobs will be significant.

It’s hard to imagine people not looking for value in these hard times, but often purchasers will pay a premium if they believe they are getting value for money.

That is probably a key strategy Irish food processors will have to deploy if they are to survive.

The perception of getting value for money can be as important as the actual price of what people are buying and often that is where strong brand names come to the top.

Irish-made cheeses and indeed meats and puddings all have gained traction in the market because people like the quality and the assurances they get when buying Irish food they know to be good.

In lots of instances that can be more important than the price. It’s not that simple but the strongest argument supporting Irish food is its origin and the belief among a broad spectrum of Irish consumers that in buying Irish food they are getting the best that is on offer.

Our growing track record as a producer of quality foods should also help us through this difficult period, but more conscious support of all things Irish will be needed to help us out the other side of this crisis.