Guest speakers from Teagasc, Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will attend the meeting that is scheduled to take place at 8pm in the CityNorth Hotel, Gormanston, Co.Meath.
IFA National Potato Committee chair, Sean Ryan, said the last few years have been difficult for growers, and the past harvest season was one of the ‘most difficult in recent memory’. Some growers have a significant acreage of potatoes unharvested, he said.
He added that growers are constantly battling market challenges, seed availability, input costs and longstanding issues such as land availability. These issues must be addressed, or the reduction in the number of growers will inevitably continue.
“Growers are now at a crossroads on making decisions to continue growing. The sector requires joined-up thinking from all Government departments to address these issues, or this downward trend will continue,” he said. All growers are encouraged to attend the meeting.