Farmers have again called for the “immediate resumption” of peat harvesting in order to protect the struggling horticulture sector.
Yesterday, IFA met with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, to discuss a range of issues impacting mushroom growers and the nursery stock sector.
The delegation, which included president Tim Cullinan and members of the association’s mushroom and nursery stock committees, informed the minister that many businesses are “struggling to survive” as the sector continues to await the outcome of a report on horticulture peat following a High Court ruling that banned peat extraction for industrial purposes on bogs over 30ha.
Mr Cullinan said: “Due to Bord na Móna’s shock decision to end the harvesting of horticulture peat with immediate effect last December and a restriction on harvesting peat from areas over 30ha, many businesses in the nursery stock sector in particular are struggling to source sufficient peat supplies.
“Both the mushroom and nursery stock sectors are very dependent on horticulture grade peat as there isn’t a viable alternative.
“We called on the minister to introduce measures to ensure the resumption of the harvesting of horticultural peat immediately,” he said.
The farm leader added that “it’s very contradictory and hypocritical” of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action to recommend the expansion of the horticulture sector to avail of opportunities for import substitution and farm diversification, “while the native raw material is being reduced.”
The delegation also raised the issue of carbon leakage by importing peat from other countries.
“Producers will either have to close their business or import peat, which would add extra cost to their business. In the current market environment, it would be impossible to retrieve these costs from the market. This would also have adverse knock-on effects for the tillage, poultry and forestry sectors, resulting in a considerable blow to the rural economy.”
It was also highlighted that the Irish horticulture sector continues to experience “severe labour shortages”.
"The mushroom sector, in particular, is struggling to recruit suitable workers for harvesting. This is having a serious effect on the efficiencies of businesses and subsequent viability of the sector,” he said highlighting that a recent Teagasc survey on labour in the Irish Mushroom found that 1,195 new hires are required on mushroom farms in 2021.
In response to queries on the recommendations of the working group established to address the ongoing peat supply challenges in the horticulture sector, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing said:
"A draft interim report of the chairman has been prepared, with a view to submission to Minister of State Malcolm Noonan in the coming weeks. This report is currently under consideration within the working group.
“The provisions in relation to horticultural peat extraction are set out in the relevant legislation. As Minister Noonan has not seen or considered the interim report of the chairman of the working group, it is considered that it would be inappropriate to comment further on this matter.”