Continued Expansion In French Organic Market

In an overall fairly static food market, the organic sector in France has quadrupled in value over the past 10 years. Agence Bio France suggests that the organic food market in France is now close to €4 billion by value. This represents an increase of 12% year on year and leaves the sector accounting for c.2.3% of the total food market.

Read more: Continued Expansion In French Organic Market

Prepared Fresh Produce – Convenience Still Important For Irish Consumers

Kantar data on the retail market for the prepared fresh produce category has valued the market at €79 million in 2011.

Read more: Prepared Fresh Produce – Convenience Still Important For Irish Consumers

This Weeks Premium Jobs in Horticulture Ireland

EPA Publishes Final 2010 Figures For Ireland's Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today released final Greenhouse gas emissions figures for 2010, following input data from a range of State Agencies including Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and CSO.

Read more: EPA Publishes Final 2010 Figures For Ireland's Greenhouse Gas Emissions

New Export Outlet for Potatoes

Robert Devlin and Philip Meade Jr of the Meade Potato Company supervising the loading of a 1,500 tonne consignment of potatoes for export to northern Europe. They expect to deliver a second load in a couple of weeks and all going well it may continue during the season. They will be processed for potato by- products.

Read more: New Export Outlet for Potatoes

Minister Bruton Launches €150million Scheme to Support Growing Irish Companies and Create Jobs

Minister issues call to Fund managers to invest in Development Capital Scheme at Action Plan for Jobs briefing in IFSC.

Read more: Minister Bruton Launches €150million Scheme to Support Growing Irish Companies and Create Jobs

Thousand Farms and Rural Businesses to Benefit From Grants

Around one thousand rural farms and businesses will soon turn business plans into reality as the first grants from the new £20 million Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme are approved by Defra, Farming Minister, Jim Paice announced recently.

Read more: Thousand Farms and Rural Businesses to Benefit From Grants

GIY Profile - Ballymaloe Cookery School

Ballymaloe is the only cookery school in the world that is located in the middle of a 100-acre, organic farm of which ten acres are devoted to organic market gardens, orchards and greenhouses. Students learn to cook with a large variety of the freshest ingredients - for instance, we grow over 40 different types of tomatoes alone!

Read more: GIY Profile - Ballymaloe Cookery School

Dail Horticulture Questions - Community Employment Schemes

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the decision to cut funding to a critical addiction prevention service in Dublin 17 in view of the fact that the organisation has already had to cut some of its very successful programmes including its horticulture programme and that it also lost a third of its Department of Education and Skills grant three years ago; if she will indicate the level of funding that will be provided for the organisation as they are currently unable to budget for upcoming programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Read more: Dail Horticulture Questions - Community Employment Schemes

SOS Funding To Unlock Rural Enterprises

Rural communities in Northern Ireland are being offered grants of up to £50,000 to start up community business ventures that will breathe new life into their areas. The news comes today as Cloughmills Community Action Team in Ballymoney, is offered a grant of over £29,000 to help develop a micro brewery and run training courses in horticulture and traditional activities such as weaving, wood cutting, bread baking and arts and crafts.

Read more: SOS Funding To Unlock Rural Enterprises

Organic Producers Welcome New Information About the Effects of Pesticides on Bees

Recently  three new studies have been released which collectively point the finger at a commonly used nerve agent pesticide for the collapse of bee colonies worldwide.

Read more: Organic Producers Welcome New Information About the Effects of Pesticides on Bees

World Conference on Water, Climate and Energy

The hosting of the International Water Association inaugural World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy has been awarded to Dublin, Ireland. The Congress will focus on how to build a sustainable future with particular emphasis on the Water, Climate and Energy nexus and will also address the very real relationship between the current economic and environmental crises which must be tackled in this generation.

Read more: World Conference on Water, Climate and Energy

Kearns Fruit Farm Launch a New Website

Kearns Fruit Farm are pleased to announce the launch of a new website at www.kearnsfruitfarm.ie. Kearns Fruit Farm, based in Enniscorthy Co. Wexford, is one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of strawberries and raspberries to a variey of retailers throughout the country.

Read more: Kearns Fruit Farm Launch a New Website

Teagasc National Berry Seminar and Trade Show 2012

Sponsored by Bord Bia and the Irish Soft Fruit Growers Association
Date: Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Venue: The Dolmen Hotel, Carlow
Industry Trade Show: 2pm - 6pm
Seminar: 6.45pm - 9.15pm

Read more: Teagasc National Berry Seminar and Trade Show 2012

HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest April 26th

John Lord continues his series on plant issues with 'I Got a Batch of Betula Pendula' which is telling nurseries that plant identification is king and results in the garden centres reputation being damaged when the wrong tree or plant is sold to a customer.

Congratulations to all those representing the horticulture sector including Supernemos, Secret Garden Centre & Bord na Mona Winners at Green Awards 2012. It's a prestigious and well known award that will be of great benefit to Supernemos as they spread their wings into the UK market and further afield.

Finally we bring you our first Dail Horticulture Questions - Community Employment Schemes. It's one of the cutback scandals that many very worthwhile horticulture related CE schemes are in danger of closing. It seems that government is happier to have people on the dole rather than maximising the benefits that these schemes bring to the community and to the participants and their self-esteem. I know of many people who have turned around their lives due to being on a successful community employment scheme.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest April 26th

A Road Map to Sustainable Agriculture

An independent commission of scientific leaders from 13 countries has released a detailed set of recommendations to policymakers on how to achieve food security in the face of climate change.

Read more: A Road Map to Sustainable Agriculture

Morrisons Makes its Move on the Garden Industry

The supermarket retailer has opened 129 temporary garden centres in recent months - and it looks as if these are here to stay as it revealed this week that the new additions to its stores will remain open over the lucrative summer period.

Read more: Morrisons Makes its Move on the Garden Industry

Asda Launches "Chosen By You" Northern Ireland

First dedicated NI supermarket own label brand. Asda is delivering on its commitment to grow its £115million annual investment in the local agri-food sector with the launch of “Chosen by You – Northern Ireland” (CBY NI) – a dedicated range of food staples which will be produced by NI-based food companies after being tested and approved by local shoppers.

Read more: Asda Launches "Chosen By You" Northern Ireland

Teagasc / DAFM National Bioenergy Conference 2012

The annual National Bioenergy Conference, organised by Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, (DAFM) is taking place in The Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone.

Read more: Teagasc / DAFM National Bioenergy Conference 2012

Start Your Career in Food or Horticulture With CAFRE

CAFRE will be holding open days for anyone curious about a career in food or horticulture. If you are considering a career in the food industry then come to the open day at Loughry College. Loughry offers courses in Food, Nutrition and Health, Food Technology, Food Management and Marketing, Food Design and Nutrition and Communication.

Read more: Start Your Career in Food or Horticulture With CAFRE