Specialist horticulture fuel support scheme worth €2m announced

Agriculture minister Martin Heydon said 'up to €2m is being made available for a fuel support scheme for growers producing tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, strawberries and chillies, which are particularly impacted by the recent fuel cost increases'

The fuel support scheme for the specialist horticulture sector will open in early June.

A fuel support scheme amounting to €2m was announced for the specialist horticulture sector.

Agriculture minister Martin Heydon announced the scheme on Wednesday, when he chaired the 17th meeting of the Food Vision High-level Implementation Committee (HILC) and co-chaired his first meeting of the Horticulture Industry Forum (HIF).

Mr Heydon said the scheme was due to open in early June and will form part of the €100m allocated by the Government for fuel income supports for farmers, fishers and agricultural contractors in response to the Middle East crisis.

Mr Heydon said: “The horticulture sector, like other sectors, has its challenges, with particular impacts on specialist horticulture growers. Recognising these challenges, and following engagement with the sector, I am pleased to inform the forum that up to €2m is being made available for a fuel support scheme for growers producing tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, strawberries and chillies, which are particularly impacted by the recent fuel cost increases.” 

At the Food Vision High-Level Implementation Committee, the minister and the HLIC reviewed progress on implementing the eight key strategic actions identified in the stakeholder-led National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 since its publication in June 2023.

The mid-term review of the strategy highlighted notable achievements, including:

• The increase in the number of producers availing of the EU aid for producers in the fruit and vegetable sector;
• A series of industry-supported Bord Bia campaigns promoting the consumption of fresh local produce;
• Positive engagement with retailers on the signing of a retail charter supporting Irish producers;
• The pilot for a seasonal employment permit scheme;
• The review of horticulture course curricula;
• The inclusion of horticulture in the department’s research calls;
• Better data capture;
• More than €2m capital investment and research funding made available for innovative primary producers to diversify and expand their businesses.

Mr Heydon said: "While significant progress has been made on the implementation of the National Strategy for Horticulture, there remains more work to be done by all stakeholders to ensure a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by sustainability and innovation. I look forward to working with the Horticulture Industry Forum to drive those actions forward."

Teagasc director, Professor Frank O’Mara, said: “The 18-strong Horticulture Development Team in Teagasc is an important source of expertise and support for the Irish horticulture sector.

"There are a number of exciting developments being led by Teagasc, including the establishment of an Apple Research Orchard, which includes 52 varieties across eight different growing systems.” 

The apple research programme aims to identify apple varieties and growing systems suitable to both the Irish climate and palate to increase domestic apple production and support the substitution of imported fruit.