Ministers announce Series of Actions to Support Horticultural Growers

Commissioning of independent experts to help assess stocks and advise on regulatory compliance

Ministers in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have today announced a series of actions to support Irish horticultural growers who are dependent on peat.

This follows the publication of the Final Report of the Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry. The Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry was established following a series of High Court decisions which determined that large scale peat harvesting requires planning permission and licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Working Group was tasked in particular with examining the potential of alternatives to peat for the horticultural industry. While the sector is committed to transitioning away from peat, this is not possible in the short term.

Against this background, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has worked with the Departments of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), and Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Housing), to develop proposals that include:

• the commissioning of an independent expert to assess levels and suitability of current stocks of peat across all suppliers, including Bord na Móna, for the Irish horticultural sector;

• the commissioning of experts on planning to provide free advice to those who wish to extract peat in a manner which is compliant with the relevant regulations on sub-30 hectare bogs; and

• research to deliver alternatives to peat for the horticulture sector.

The ultimate ambition of this exercise is to support the €469 million horticulture industry, the people employed and the many families that depend on this important sector.

Referring to the situation faced by Irish growers, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. said:

Ministers Hackett, Heydon and I are very aware that there are no simple solutions here, but we are committed to exploring every opportunity to alleviate the current difficulties for growers, their businesses and their families. The horticulture sector is crucial for the agriculture industry and the overall economy. We are endeavouring to address the short-term issue of supply, the medium term one of future access to peat and also the longer-term issue of replacement with alternatives. We thank our Ministerial colleagues Eamon Ryan and Darragh O’Brien for their help in delivering a series of actions to support this crucial sector. We also of course, wish to thank Minister of State Malcolm Noonan for the work he did with the working group.”

Minister Hackett said:

“As Minister with responsibility for Horticulture, I understand growers need certainty about the supply of peat in the short term. With that in mind, I will commission an independent expert to work quickly with growers, and suppliers, including Bord na Móna, to ascertain exactly what stocks are available. Bord na Móna have committed to working with an independent expert and the growers to see if any of the stocks of peat they have on hand would be of use to the horticulture sector.”

Some level of import cannot be ruled out in the short term because this has always been a factor in the peat industry in Ireland. However, there is a regulatory pathway to legally compliant extraction and the fastest route for the domestic industry appears to be small-scale extraction on previously drained sub-30 hectare bogs. The Ministers will commission the services of experts on planning matters to provide free advice to those wishing to achieve regulatory compliance for extraction of horticultural peat for supply to the domestic horticulture industry. Bord na Móna has provided assurance that the equipment required to mix such peat, should it become available, remains in the country. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will be liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the commissioning of all experts.

Minister Heydon T.D., who has responsibility for Research and Development, said:

“Our long-term goal is to develop suitable peat-free alternatives for growers, that are economically and environmentally sustainable. I recently committed research funding from this Department of €1.69m to a research project ‘Beyond Peat’ to be undertaken by Teagasc to investigate potential alternatives to peat. I am also engaging with others who are conducting research work in this area. These alternatives will take time to come to fruition and growers will continue to need access to a viable growing medium in the interim to protect these valuable jobs and sector.”

Expressing his support for the series of actions, Minister Eamon Ryan said:

“It’s important we ensure the horticulture sector was supported during this period of transition away from the use of peat as a growing medium. In parallel with this, I want to see those responsible for illegal, large-scale peat extraction complying with Irish and European law. Our peatlands are our Amazon and will play a significant role in storing carbon as we work to meet our climate goals.”

Minister Darragh O’Brien added:

“The professional horticultural industry makes a huge contribution to the Irish economy, in terms of employment, of food security and in sustaining a whole range of other downstream businesses. We need to stand with our Irish growers, and give them help and support to access the modest supplies of peat that they need while realistic alternatives to peat as a growing medium are still in development. This must be done in a way that complies with our planning and licensing laws, and I am glad to see that expert help will be provided as part of this programme of Actions, to help growers engage with and navigate the regulatory system.”

Minister Malcolm Noonan said:

“This joint programme of Actions, agreed by the three Departments, draws on the important work done by Dr Prasad and the Working Group on Peat in Horticulture. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the work of that Group. Our peatlands are a national treasure. I look forward to working with my colleagues in DAFM and DECC to ensure the restoration and rehabilitation of bogs, once the limited and legally compliant extraction of peat envisaged in this programme of Actions has concluded.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Final Report of the Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry is available at this link gov.ie - Review of the use of Peat Moss in Horticulture - Final Report of the Chairman of the Working Group (www.gov.ie)
The Working Paper that includes the Series of Actions to support horticultural growers can be found at the following link: gov.ie - Working Paper to address challenges related to peat supply in the Horticulture Sector (www.gov.ie)
A guidance document on the regulatory framework for peat extraction has been commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The Guide is intended for information purposes only and is not legal interpretation of the relevant regulatory requirement which currently apply to peat extraction. The Guide can be found at the following link: gov.ie - The Regulatory Framework Applying to Peat Extraction - A Guidance Document (www.gov.ie)
The horticultural sector, the 4th largest, makes a large contribution to the economy with a farm gate value of almost €469 million in 2020 and 17,600 people employed in primary production, value added and downstream businesses.
Approximately 60% of the value of Irish horticulture is currently dependent on peat with the mushroom, amenity and soft fruit sectors being most reliant. The industry therefore requires continued access to peat until alternatives are developed.
The horticulture sector is committed to developing alternatives to peat as a growing medium. Peat should be phased out by 2030, or by the very latest of 2035, providing alternative materials are available.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides support to the horticulture industry through the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Horticulture Sector. Financial support is available to assist growers and businesses through grant aid for capital investments in specialised plant and equipment including renewable energy, as well as technology adoption specific to commercial horticulture production, such as those for utilising alternative growing media. A 50% budget increase to €9 million secured in Budget 2021 was maintained in Budget 2022, reflecting the importance of the sector. This Scheme is 100% funded by the Irish Government. Details of the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector can be found at: gov.ie – Horticulture Schemes gov.ie - Horticulture Schemes (www.gov.ie)
Further supports are provided to the sector through the EU Producer Organisation (PO) Scheme for Fruit and Vegetables. Two sustainability research projects on peat replacements were funded to date. Details on PO Scheme can be found at gov.ie - Horticulture Schemes (www.gov.ie)
Full details of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Competitive Research Call 2021 awards are set out at: gov.ie - Research and Codex (www.gov.ie)