Oil price peak sees co-op reap rewards of peat practice
The 340-member Iveragh Co-op, which had supplied turf to the now closed ESB generating station at Deelis, Caherciveen, is looking to the household market as an alternative outlet.
Co-op chairman Dan Barry yesterday said they were extending their premises and investing in a turf-bagging plant to supply the domestic market.
“We foresee a situation where people will be able to walk into a shop and buy a bag of turf in the same way they can buy a bag of coal,” he said.
“Turf has never been properly marketed. Our experience this year is that there’s no problem in selling turf once the quality is right and it’s packaged and presented properly to the customer.”
Following the closure of the Deelis power station two years ago, the co-op was left without a market. While there was not great demand for turf last year, Mr Barry said the situation had changed this year.
“We’ve sold about 15,000 tonnes this year. All the turf we’ve harvested and saved has been booked up, which is unusual for us,” he said.
“If we had 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes this year, we could have sold it.
“Traditionally, people bought turf by the trailer, or lorry load, but we’ve people coming here to buy it by the bag. Once our bagging plant is up and running, we will be a in position to go into the commercial market.”
Mr Barry said the co-op would act as a marketing and sales agency for the turf producers.
When the power station was in operation, about 25,000 tonnes of turf was produced annually and Mr Barry said they would still be able to produce that quantity.
“There’s also plenty of bog in the area for many years to come. The co-op has also purchased additional bog.”
