Dr. Maria Snell:

This has not been common practice, not only among primary producers, but all the way along the food chain. From 2022 on, though, there has been a requirement to assess it. The EPA has produced a report to begin that process and give some background information. It is challenging to quantify the pre-harvest loss. There are many reasons for that loss, for example, pest infestation and poor growing conditions due to weather, and these can lead to waste as well. The further you go into the food chain, the easier it is to quantify waste, but there are significant challenges at the field scale. There is a great deal of work to be done in terms of how we begin estimating that waste and examining the issues, which are more likely to increase in future due to our climate predictions of more severe weather, drought and wetting.

Regarding new technology, our generation has grown up with technology and we are open and willing to integrate the latest science and innovations into the business model. However, a key barrier is access to finance. We experience a great deal of business uncertainty and primary producers’ profit margins are very small. It is difficult to secure finance from year to year when we do not know from year to year where the contracts will come from. This issue needs to be addressed. Giving primary producers more business certainty allows them to invest in the latest technology, AI, robotics, etc. This would help to alleviate other problems, for example, the seasonality of work and the more monotonous labour.

We have ample opportunities to grow many products that we are otherwise importing from Argentina, for example, blueberries. We have people who want to do it, but the scale and viability of the product are considerations. This is about access to land, finance and a skilled labour force to execute production. We also need to promote and support the market for Irish produce so that returns can be achieved. We have high costs, not only in terms of labour but also in terms of regulation and auditing. That needs to be reflected in the price as well.