The value of Irish strawberry production has increased from €16m to €21m in just two years.

Production is currently running at more than 5,500 tonnes annually and a lengthening of the season has meant that supplies of fresh Irish strawberries, once confined to June and July, are now available from April to November, according to Dr Eamon Kehoe, soft fruit adviser with Teagasc, the farm research and advisory service.

The reason for the new buoyancy was twofold, he said - strawberries had become “a healthy option” with Irish consumers and there had been significant investment in the use of new technology in plant production, as well as in glasshouses and tunnels. Some capital investment projects now attracted a 35% state grant.

Around 60 per cent of the Irish crop is produced in County Wexford, with the bulk of the remainder grown in counties Dublin and Meath. As elsewhere, the trend has been towards consolidation, with 100 major commercial growers dominating the trade and supplying the multiples, while smaller operators - those with 30-40 acres - service local shops and markets.

Selling direct to consumers through farmers’ markets offers a new outlet - and the conference heard just how valuable it could be. Guest speaker Gareth Jones, from the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association in the UK, estimated that farm retailing in the UK is worth €3bn. And a survey had shown, he said, that 90% of UK consumers would buy direct from a farmers’ market if they could.

In its research role, Teagasc works closely with growers in efforts to improve both crop quality and production efficiency. At its research centre in Kinsealy, near Dublin, the current research focus is on tray production, a growing system used in the UK, France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.

“Tray plants can produce 10-20% more large fruits than ‘bare root’ plants,” says Dr Kehoe, “and one immediate benefit for growers is that it would reduce picking costs substantially.”

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