Bord Glas becomes part of Bord Bia
It means that Bord Glas, which was set up in 1990, has now been dissolved and all of its existing functions transferred to the larger Bord Bia.
A statutory horticulture subsidiary board with a chairperson and 12 members is to be set up. The interests of the horticultural sector will be also represented on Bord Bia's main board.
Agriculture and Food Minister Joe Walsh said he believed both sectors would be better served by the joint expertise of an amalgamated body that could achieve the synergies necessary to best promote and market both food and horticulture at home and abroad.
Bord Bia currently has responsibility for promoting Irish food to markets at home and abroad and edible horticulture on the export market. It will now assume responsibility for the marketing of edible horticulture as well as amenity horticulture on all markets.
Mr Walsh said the joint promotion of Irish food and horticulture sat easily with current retail distribution structures that provided an integrated offering to the consumer in terms of living and lifestyle.
Michael Maloney, Bord Glas chief executive since 1999, said the horticultural industry has doubled in value terms in the past fourteen years from €205m to €412m last year.
Mr Maloney said certain crops had outperformed the sector. The mushroom sector has grown from a €44m base in 1990 to €124m in 2003 - a 218% increase.
He said the horticulture has undergone significant change since Bord Glas was established. Producers are growing greater volumes of fruit and vegetables under cover.
The value of protected crops, including vegetables and strawberries, has risen from €12.4m in 1990 to €43.4m in 2003 - an increase of close to 250%. Outdoor crop values have declined by 28% in the same period as a consequence of the shift to producing strawberries under cover.
Mr Maloney said retail sales of fresh fruit and vegetables increased by over 4% to €844 million in 2003 as more households bought fresh produce in larger volumes and more regularly.
Meanwhile, Bord Bia yesterday published a guide to help new and planned Irish companies to target the British food service market, valued at over €36 billion.Orla Donohoe, Bord Bia Food service Trade Marketing Specialist, said the aim is to equip companies with the necessary marketing tools to effectively target and succeed in the particular market.
