Consumers urged to ‘buy local’ with Christmas spend on fruit and veg

Agriculture Minister of State, Tom Hayes, has urged consumers to examine ‘country of origin’ labelling and to buy Irish fruit and vegetables.

The junior minister said buying local was particularly important for producers focused on the Christmas market. He made his remarks while inspecting some of the Irish brussels sprout crop with Enda Weldon, grower, at the Weldon’s family farm in north Co Dublin.

Mr Hayes said: “Given the good weather over recent months there was a strong supply of excellent quality Irish seasonal fresh field vegetables available at present including parsnips, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage and swedes, as well as the ‘Christmas season sprouts’.”

Sprouts have to be cooled, graded, packed and on supermarket shelves within 24 hours of harvest. The Weldons’ farm will run 24 hours a day for the 10 days running up to Christmas.

Mr Hayes said: “Where possible, consumers should seek Bord Bia quality assured produce this Christmas so they can rest assured they are getting traceable, quality food that has been produced in a sustainable manner in Ireland.”