Pat Breen
Ceist:300 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of registered mushrooms growers here in 2002, 2003 and 2004. [15144/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 10 May 2005
Ceisteanna (250, 251, 252)
Seymour Crawford
Ceist:304 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of mushroom growers who have gone out of production over the past ten years; if research has been carried out to find alternative use for these valuable plastic tunnel type structures before they fall into derelict eyesores in rural Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15250/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 304 together.
The number of mushroom growers has decreased from 566 in 1995 to 228 in 2004. The rate of decline increased sharply since 2000. The numbers of growers in the past three years were: 2002, 365 growers; 2003, 289 growers; and 2004, 228 growers. While the number of growers declined over the past ten years, mushroom output increased in the period by approximately 10,000 tonnes due to the increasing scale of the farms remaining in operation.
Mushroom tunnels consist of cladding and an outer layer of plastic. When mushroom production ceases, the insulating material can be removed and the tunnels converted to use for other crops as polythene tunnels for hot or shade houses.
Pat Breen
Ceist:301 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if assistance will be given to the many mushroom growers who are facing a crisis due to the cheap imports of foreign produce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15145/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe quantity of mushrooms imported into Ireland is not significant in terms of our overall production and imports tend to be exotic varieties to meet the demands of niche markets. Total mushroom production in 2004 is estimated at 65,000 tonnes of which some 80% was exported to the UK market where there is strong competition mainly from Dutch and Polish imports.
The difficulties facing the sector were recognised by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, when as Minister with responsibility for horticulture in the Department of Agriculture and Food, he established the mushroom task force in December 2003. The report of the task force was published in May last year and considerable progress has been made in the implementation of the recommendations in the report which has the objective of putting the industry on a sound footing and addressing the competitive threats facing the sector.
Significant support is provided to the mushroom sector through the EU producer organisation scheme which is operated by my Department. Approximately 90% of mushroom output now goes through the scheme and over the past three years €11.5 million as been paid out to the producer organisations involved.
My Department also supports the mushroom sector through the grant aid scheme for capital investment under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and to date, €2.6 million has been paid to growers for the modernisation and improvement of their facilities. For this year's scheme, applications have been received from 40 mushroom growers in respect of proposed investments of €7.6 million. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, will announce the grant aid package details shortly.
Question No. 302 withdrawn.