The committee will meet at 5.30pm and the proceedings will be split into three sessions to hear from: representatives from Irish Farmers Association (IFA) from 5.30pm-6.30pm; and officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and representatives from Teagasc from 6.30pm-7.30pm.
Committee cathaoirleach, Deputy Jackie Cahill said: “The horticultural sector is the fourth largest sector in agriculture and plays a significant role in the agrifoods economy. Last year the sector employed 17,000 people in production and supply, with output at the farm gate worth €529m.
“This meeting will continue our examination of the challenges facing Ireland’s fruit and vegetable sector, including supports for growers, the strategy to expand by 30 per cent to meet growing domestic and export demand, diversification to meet climate action targets, and reducing food loss and waste in the production and supply chain.
“One of the areas of concern raised on behalf of growers is that a recently announced support scheme for the horticulture sector does not appear to cover white mushroom producers or growers of Irish strawberries. These are important sub-sectors which have faced the same input cost increases and pressures seen across horticulture and which have led to an exodus of growers in recent years."