Millions Lost in Irish Nursery Stock Industry

The Minister of State for Horticulture Shane McEntee TD has inspected the damage in the Nurserystock sector as a result of the severe freezing weather conditions over the last two winters.

The Chairman of IFA’s Hardy Nurserystock Committee Kieran Skelly invited the Minister to Yellow Furze Nursery in Navan, Co. Meath to see first-hand the scale of the losses that nursery owners have incurred on stock destined for the Irish and export markets.

Kieran Skelly said “as a result of the damage caused by the severe weather over the last two winters, vast amounts of nursery stock have been wiped out of the system and nurseries are not in a position to fund the restocking required. Some nurseries have lost as much as 75% of their stock in 2009/10 and an additional 40% loss last winter. These losses are unsustainable.”

“Despite the best efforts of the IFA/IHNSA, nursery stock destroyed by the frost in 2009/10 was not included in the Compensation Scheme (State Aids) operated by the Department of Agriculture. This scheme only applied to damaged crops of potatoes and vegetables.”

Kieran Skelly added that the on-going viability of nurseries is at stake and nurseries are fighting for survival