Number of Irish vegetable farmers halves as falling prices make industry 'barely viable'

The number of Irish farmers growing vegetables for the nation’s dinner tables has halved over the past 20 years.

Vegetables like carrots, parsnips and sprouts are an integral part of Christmas dinner, but harvesting these vegetables in the weeks before the festive season is back-breaking work.

Veganism, healthy lifestyles and the push to eat five-a-day have made veggie dishes increasingly popular but the farmers say they are barely scraping a living due to the supermarkets slashing the price of their greens and root vegetables.

An edition of RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground reveals winter veg selling for less than 50 cent a kilo in many supermarkets and even less on promotion weeks.

Farmers say they need an immediate rise of 10% to 15% in order to be able to make a living.

Waterford vegetable farmer, James O’Donnell, said tumbling prices have made his family business barely viable.

He said: “It’s definitely getting tougher and tougher. Every year the question seems to be how much lower can you produce for?

They want everything, they want cheap veg and top quality, it’s just not possible to be honest.

"It is the consumer at the end of the day. I don’t blame them for buying it but how long is it feasible? I don’t think it is in the long term, to be honest.”

The programme reveals that the number of vegetable growers is now down to 160 in the country.

James O’Donnell's family have been growing vegetables since the 60s.

“Back then there was wholesalers or the corner shop but now you’re either big or you’re gone.”

The programme said supermarkets declined to appear on the farming show but Aldi, Tesco and Supervalu did say they pay fair market prices to suppliers and absorb all the costs of any in-store promotions.

Ear to the Ground will be shown tomorrow at 8.30pm