A major conference has been announced that will be of significant interest to growers in the organic vegetable sector. The event is titled “Commercial Market Opportunities in Organic Vegetable Production 2025 – Field Scale and Protected Cropping” and will be held at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) facilities in Backweston, Co. Kildare on Monday, 17 February 2025.
The conference promises to highlight emerging opportunities within the organic vegetable production sector. Training and financial supports that are available to growers will also be discussed on the day.
Conference attendees will hear from existing growers about the practical requirements of growing vegetables, and from buyers outlining the opportunities that exist to replace imports with Irish-grown vegetables. The afternoon session will allow attendees to talk one-to-one with all the experts attending on the day.
Knowledge will be shared on the day by contributors representing leading organic growers, key buyers, National Organic Training Skillnet, Teagasc, the Agricultural Consultant’s Association, Organic Growers of Ireland and DAFM staff.
Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, T.D. promises that “the event will be a unique one-stop opportunity for anyone interested in diversifying their holding to engage with leading sectoral experts and, importantly, to hear about market opportunities from those within the sector. The opportunities for diversification for existing conventional growers, as well as the prospects for new growers, will be dealt with.”
This event aligns with The National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 that was published in 2023, and is a specific action in Food Vision 2030 by providing a road map for the horticulture industry to ensure the future economic, social and environmental sustainability of the sector. At present, 70% of the organic vegetables purchased in Ireland are imported. The National Organic Strategy builds on the aims of the Horticulture Strategy to replace imported organic vegetables with domestic produce, and achieving a target of less than 50% of organic vegetables being imported by 2030.
Registration is through the National Organic Training Skillnet website.
To learn about supports available under the Organic Farming Scheme, click here.
