Horticulture & Fresh Produce News - Horticulture Ireland in the 2020 Food Harvest - www.HortiTrends.com
4.4 Horticulture
The horticulture and potato sector contributed approximately €370 million to farm output in 2009. The sector makes an important economic contribution and generates significant ancillary employment in areas such as preparing, packing produce, distribution, retail, garden design & landscaping.
The domestic retail and food service markets are the most important markets for Irish fresh horticulture produce. However, mushrooms destined for the UK market represent a major export with a value in excess of €100million. Amenity products which comprise 20% of total production, are focused to a large extent on the domestic market. The main exports are Christmas trees, nursery stock & cut foliage.
The sector faces competitive pressures, particularly due to high input costs, notably energy, competitively priced imports, lack of scale and limited development in innovation.
Notwithstanding this, the sector has potential for further development. The food service market offers opportunities to replace imported product with home grown seasonal produce, to supply into the organic market and to diversify to meet ethnic food demands. Bord Bia’s recent review of the amenity sector identified the need to innovate, to develop new products and services and markets. It was considered that the best way to do this was through a coordinated approach where businesses, both large and small would combine resources to exploit new opportunities.
Horticulture has been transformed in the past decade by technological advances. Technology and advances in plant genetic research offer new products, new production methods and new approaches to the market. Maximising this potential requires a greater integration between state agencies, research institutes and industry. Existing development progammes and schemes should be looked at, and restructured, if necessary, to assist the commercialisation and adoption of new developments in horticultural technology, with the objective of facilitating and assisting entrepreneurs take advantage of the opportunities arising from emerging technology and the intellectual property associated with it.

Recommendations
As with all the sectoral analyses, the recommendations to realise the potential of the horticulture sector should be considered in tandem with the general farm and industry level recommendations set out in Section 3.
Restoring Competitiveness
DAFF should encourage greater participation in the development of producer organisations to facilitate greater bargaining power in the marketplace and to encourage the adoption of new technologies and best practice at sub-sectoral level.
The industry must continually adapt its production methods both to minimise environmental effects and to benefit from adopting green technologies
Relevant state agencies should foster product and production innovation, the adoption of emerging technologies and plant breeding.
Processors should invest in specialised plant and equipment to improve labour productivity, working conditions and the quality of output.
DAFF should review funding under the Horticultural NDP with a view to maximising the uptake of green technology, including water recycling, energy from waste and innovation based on plant production.
The relevant Departments should review existing programmes and supports in relation to the horticulture sector, and should identify any changes in legislation or in the scope and type of measures required to develop the industry and associated businesses.
Branding and Marketing Issues
DAFF and the relevant State agencies should further promote the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Bord Bia should identify opportunities in relation to new products, e.g. herbs, indoor fruit production, mini potatoes, ornamentals and develop consumer awareness of domestic varieties.
Bord Bia-led market research should explore the opportunities for production of non- traditional fruit and vegetables.


