The Irish retail market for fresh produce is showing “great resilience”, according to Bord Bia, at a time when the recession is causing a general sales slump elsewhere in the economy.
And in a double boost for the industry, a separate survey commissioned by the board has found a 20 per cent increase in the numbers who say they eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
According to Michal Slawski, of Bord Bia’s horticulture division, the retail market for fresh produce is now valued at €1.12 billion. While that is seven per cent below the figure for the previous 12 months, “volume sales are only slightly down,” he says, “which shows great resilience by the sector in a challenging retail environment”.
He is optimistic about the long term. “Fruit and vegetable sales are unlikely to drop significantly as they remain at the front of the health agenda which motivates consumer spending.” Salad crops performed well at the start of summer, he reports, with volumes of lettuce, cucumbers and peppers all up, while the earlier cold weather increased mushroom volume sales by 4.6 per cent and carrots by 5.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Bord Bia survey, timed to coincide with the general return to school, found that 45 per cent of consumers now eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables daily, a 20 per cent increase on the figure of four years ago. A board spokesman said the results confirmed research that Irish consumers are becoming more mindful of diet.
Nutritionist Paula Mee urged parents to maintain the current trend by including a mixture of fruit and vegetables in their children’s lunch-boxes. They should alternate small, sweet apple varieties with other fruit “to keep it interesting”, she said, while carrot sticks with dip, celery, and cherry tomatoes were also popular with children.
