Caitríona Redmond: Buy Irish to support producers

Some 83% of the fruit and vegetables we consume are not Irish. We now import 70,000 tonnes of potatoes each year — as well as tens of thousands of tonnes of apples, carrots, onions and cabbage. In a special report, we investigate where our food comes from and why it matters.

That seasonal window is not enough for Irish shoppers who will find tomatoes on supermarket shelves 52 weeks of the year.

There are less than 60 field vegetable producers left in the country, a recent Oireachtas joint committee on agriculture, food, and the marine was told.

So what has led to the demise of the industry? Take a tomato for example. Tomatoes require at least eight hours per day of sunlight to grow. Until the weather improves in the Summer, growers will depend on artificial lighting and heating to accelerate tomato growth to meet demand.