Farmers are struggling to stay in business because they are not “getting a proper price for the product” and have told Agriland that they expect to see a “huge shortage of food in the next five to ten years”.
Vegetable farmers have warned that the sector has had to endure a particularly tough spring and the price that retailers are currently selling produce at does not in any way match the cost of production.
“Below-cost selling has to stop. Selling a head of broccoli for 49c is gone, a grower today needs €1.09 to produce a head of broccoli,” Robert Carrick, a broccoli grower from Rush, Co. Dublin said.
Carrick believes there will be a “huge shortage of food in the next five to 10 years” and wants a “fair price” to be given to the farmers.
Input costs for farmers
Agriland spoke to a number of farmers who highlighted the pressures of input costs and also explained why the appointment of Niamh Lenehan as chief executive of the new Agri Food Regulator could be a crucial development.
Matt Foley grows tomatoes exclusively and runs his operation from his glasshouses in Rush.
According to Foley his business only survived last year due to an extremely good growing season and grant-aid from government, which helped mitigate high energy prices.
“We do need support, and we need a realisation as to how important it is to grow our own produce,” he said.
Shane Halpin is a member of the trio behind the cucumber growers, Welgro Produce.
Halpin said that the price of gas has been a major cost for the business as generally they have to heat the glasshouse with gas-powered hot water pipes during the earlier part of the season.
He added: “There is not one single bill this year that has come down, and it seems to be the norm.
“We were depending on Spain, but they had a bad time. I could’ve been in production at that time, but we planted later.
“We were standing in an empty glasshouse when the supermarkets had empty shelves.
“A product we pick today, we pack tomorrow and is on the supermarket shelf tomorrow night,” Halpin added.
Route to market
But there are also some farm families who have taken a deliberate decision not to sell directly to retailers and have gone down a different direction, one of which is McNally Family Farm.
Its route to market is now via its own farm shop and through farm markets at Temple Bar.
The family business told Agriland that it had to change its approach when supermarkets did not take its produce and it was faced with a situation where there was no income coming in.
“We had to find a different route. Find a way that we could make a living and provide for the children and continue with the family farm, which was direct sales,” Jayne McNally said.