Horticulture producers to benefit from €4.4m in investment aid

Some 175 commercial horticultural producers are to receive grants totalling €4.4m under a scheme unveiled yesterday by Simon Coveney, the agriculture minister.

The investment aid scheme for the development of the commercial horticulture sector will fund capital investments in specialist new equipment and facilities.

The grant aid covers all areas of the industry, including field vegetables, mushrooms, protected crops and nursery crops.

Ireland’s horticultural industry contributed €297m to the value of agricultural output in 2012. Funded under the National Development Plan, the grants will cover part of the capital investments. In total, growers are expected to invest €11m between now and the end of the year.

Mr Coveney highlighted the competitive pressures faced by the horticultural industry, citing in particular “high input costs and especially energy costs, competitively priced imports, lack of scale, and the dominance of the supermarket trade”.

Exceptionally wet weather meant 2012 was a difficult year for the horticultural industry and this has been compounded by the cold late spring this year.

“Despite recent weather difficulties, I am very much heartened to witness the level of interest and the number of high quality proposals submitted under the current round of this competitive grant aid scheme,” Mr Coveney said.

“In addition, the horticultural sector employs an estimated 5,000 people nationally both directly and indirectly.”