Speciality Foods for Teagasc Agriculture and Food 06

An outdoor farmers market will be recreated at Kildalton College to provide visitors to Agriculture and Food 06 with the opportunity to see and taste the best of artisan and speciality foods available in Ireland.

This major Teagasc national event, being held on June 21, offers indigenous food producers the opportunity to showcase their products to a wide, varied and discernable audience.

“On the longest day of the year a wide variety of artisan and speciality foods can be seen and tasted in an outdoor farmers’ market against the imposing back drop of Kildalton House”, according to Eddie O Neill, Technology Transfer Specialist at Teagasc Food Research Centre Moorepark.

“Speciality food producers contribute in excess of €500m to the Irish economy every year from a base of less than 300 companies. This compares to a base of over 2,000 speciality food and beverage companies in New Zealand, so the industry here is still in its infancy,” he said.

Speaking in Kildaton today, April 20, Eddie O Neill said, “In Ireland, farmer’s markets are a relatively recent phenomenon and yet contribute over €10m to local economies. The recent growth of these markets will be reflected in the diversity of products on show and for sale at Kildalton with everything from chocolate to cheese and preserves to pizzas. These reflect the growth in specialty niche products and also reflect our changing lifestyles and the agricultural environment.”

Eddie O Neill argues that the growth of farmers markets have been a major boost not just for farmers, but also for the consumer and rural economies.

“For farmers, these markets provide a new and immediate source of revenue, new skills and they also fill the need for diversification. For the consumer, there is increased choice and a new shopping experience. For local economies there are increased employment, increased tourism and the production of local quality goods,” he said.