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Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle, T.D., today confirmed that over €4 million has been paid out to the fruit and vegetable sector under the annual scheme for Producer Organisations.

The Minister commented that;

I am happy to confirm that annual payments now due under the Producer Organisation Scheme for fruit and vegetables have been completed. This annual support comes at a critical time for a sector that has been affected by the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit. The sector exports fresh produce valued at over €90 million annually to the UK market.

The EU Producer Organisation Scheme provides an important mechanism for growers to achieve greater bargaining power in the marketplace by becoming part of a larger supply base. Funding is provided to Producer Organisations via measures that support income resilience, competitiveness, and protecting the environment. 

The Minister added that;

In the face of ever greater concentration of demand, grouping supply in this way strengthens the position of producers in the market and fosters a fairer distribution of value added along the supply chain.

Note for editors;

The EU Producer Organisation Scheme provides an important mechanism for producers to achieve a more sustainable balance in the supply chain by becoming part of a larger supply base. Funding is provided to Producer Organisations through measures that support income resilience, improve competitiveness and promote efficiency.  There are currently two Producer Organisations (POs) operating under the EU Scheme for Fruit and Vegetables in Ireland representing approximately 30% of the total farm gate output of the horticultural sector.