Sean Ryan, IFA’s National Potato Chairman, recently described the EUR3 million seed potato plan as a “positive first step.” IFA met with the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine previously this year and has continued to discuss funding and assistance alternatives for the sector’s development with senior Department officials.
The announcement of funding for the seed sector comes ahead of Dublin hosting the World Potato Congress (WPC) from Monday, May 30 to Thursday, June 2.
“We look forward to working with Dept. officials to put measures in place to support the sector against Brexit and other challenges currently experienced by the sector. The scheme must ensure priority access to current seed producers to help them to expand to reach domestic demand,” Ryan said, according to a recent IFA press release.
By offering grant assistance to producers for the capital cost of specialized equipment and facilities, the plan aims to promote the development of capacity within the industry and facilitate improvements in the production, storage, and marketing infrastructure of seed potatoes. Ireland’s allocation from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund will be used to fund the Brexit Adjustment Reserve scheme (BAR).
An IFA delegation met with the Minister these days to discuss the challenges for the potato sector and we will seek additional information on the new proposed scheme.
Before Brexit, Ireland had been importing approximately 6,000 tons of seed potatoes from the UK each year, with 60% of the certified seed that is planted in Ireland coming from Scotland. The area of seed potato crops for certification in Ireland increased to 299 hectares in 2021. This figure will need to double for domestic demand.
Approximately 8,500 ha of commercial potatoes are planted annually
