€19 million paid out to the horticulture sector in 2024
- Published on: 21 January 2025
- Last updated on: 16 April 2025
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued €19 million in payments to the Irish horticulture sector in 2024 through a range of schemes, including the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector, the EU Producer Organisation Scheme for the Fruit and Vegetable Sector, the Schemes of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture and the Horticulture Crisis Fund.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said:
“This level of payments clearly demonstrates the government’s ongoing commitment to supporting this vitally important sector and aligns with the vision set out in the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 to grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability.
“I recently announced the opening of the 2025 Schemes of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture. First launched in 2024, these schemes are designed to continue to support increased innovation and diversification among primary producers in the horticulture sector which is one of the Key Strategic Actions set out in the National Strategy for Horticulture.”
These schemes are currently open. Horticulture growers are reminded that the closing date for receipt of applications under these schemes is midnight, Friday 7 February 2025.
In relation to the five recognised fruit and vegetable Producer Organisations in Ireland with members across the high wire, fruit, field vegetable and mushroom sectors, Minister McConalogue continued:
“A total of €7.8 million was paid out to horticulture growers under the EU Producer Organisation Scheme for the Fruit and Vegetable Sector in 2024. This Scheme provides an invaluable support to producers including mitigating climate change, improving product quality, boosting value of the products, preventing and managing crises and increasing the planning of production and concentration of supply.”
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett remarking on the funding paid out under the EU Producer Organisation Scheme for Fruit and Vegetables said:
"The support provided under this scheme covers a wide range of activities and contributes to the producer becoming more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. There has never been a better time for growers to join or form a Producer Organisation."
Notes
The closing date for receipt of applications under the three schemes is midnight, Friday 7 February 2025.
Further information on the EU Producer Organisation Scheme for the fruit and vegetable sector.
The National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 sets down a clear vision to grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability and provides a road map for the sector to achieve this potential. The implementation of the Strategy’s eight Key Strategic Actions (KSA) will drive change and growth across all of the horticulture industry’s sub sectors and lead to environmental, economic, and social sustainability. If all actions in the strategy are implemented, a 30% increase in farmgate value from €559 million in 2023 to €688 million by the end of 2027 is anticipated, generating more rural employment and thriving local communities.
The implementation of the National Strategy for Horticulture is steered by the Horticulture Industry Forum, a stakeholder established group comprising all sector representatives, with the department, Teagasc, Bord Bia, and the IFA represented as associate members.
The Horticulture Crisis Fund (HCF) was a support measure that was provided in the form of a once off payment to growers of horticulture that were most affected by high level of input costs. The horticulture subsectors supported under this measure included, brown mushrooms, heated strawberries, field vegetables (excluding potatoes), field salad crops, apples, vertically farmed greens and glasshouse high wire crops.