Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Horticultural Peat Supply and Willow Scheme: Bord na Móna
Mr. Ger Breen:
Yes. ICL has done a lot of research in this space and is an expert. ICL has made significant investment in wood fibre technology and has significant volume available to meet the demands of the Irish market. It is a question of taking the customers in Ireland on a transition over a period where they reduce the percentage of peat that is in the growing media product. By ICL entering into an arrangement with Bord na Móna it gives a period in which customers can move as opposed to having to look for sudden changes. To be fair to professional growers, one can purchase a growing media product but one will only know how good the ready-made compost is after sowing plants and seeing the outcome. It is important that they have confidence that the products they purchase gives a good crop yield.
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