Farming special - Day 4: Food Academy scheme to help create 150 jobs
Organisers said the programme will result in the creation of a further 150 jobs, after the participants secure retail sales worth €5m with SuperValu.
The joint initiative by Bord Bia, SuperValu, and the Local Enterprise Offices, helos producers grow their businesses through a workshop and mentoring system.
Mr Kenny met some of the 85 graduate food businesses that have completed the programme and, as a result, secured their first retail listings with 133 SuperValu stores.
The companies will continue to be supported by the Food Academy in order to further grow their sales and progress to become provincial and national suppliers.
Mr Kenny said the Government is highly supportive of the agri-food sector as it is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry “and will continue to be as we work to secure economic recovery by prioritising job creation and investment”.
Martin Kelleher, SuperValu managing director, said the group was committed to quality and supporting local suppliers.
Bord Bia CEO Aidan Cotter said, with revenues of €475m, small food businesses play an important role in the agri-food sector by enhancing our reputation for dynamic, high-quality food.
“Food Academy Start is a unique opportunity to help cultivate sustainable small food companies by providing them with access to expertise in branding, market research, business development and distribution. This combination of both commercial and marketing insight assists in supporting producers through the challenging initial phases of growth and strengthens their chances of future success,” he said.
“It is encouraging to see the tangible benefits of the programme to date in delivering sales of €5m.”
Vincent Reynolds, head of the Local Enterprise Office, said the collaboration between industry and State agencies will ultimately boost employment in communities across the country.
SuperValu serves over 2.6m customers every week and has 222 stores nationwide. It purchases almost €2bn worth of goods from Irish suppliers which help to sustain 30,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, IFA Grain Committee chairman Liam Dunne said Irish and European growers should park up the ploughs early this autumn and reduce sowings as a matter of urgency for the 2015 crop year.
He said this will send a strong message that farmers are not prepared to supply grain at prices that are below the cost of production.
The country’s 12,000 tillage farmers produce 2.4m tonnes of cereals and protein crops each year.
