The Irish Horticultural Industry has an estimated annual farmgate value of €380 million.
The Industry is comprised of two key sectors:
- Food Sector (incl Potatoes, Vegetables, Fruit & Protected food crops)
- Amenity Sector (incl Nursery Stock, Christmas Trees, Cut Foliage, Bulbs & Protected plants/flowers)
Production Areas:
The production of Horticultural Crops takes place throughout Ireland but depending on the crops involved there are key regional areas of more intensive production eg:
| Field Vegetables: |
Leinster, Munster |
| Fruit: |
Leinster |
| Potatoes: |
Leinster, Munster, Ulster |
| Mushrooms: |
Connaught, Ulster, Leinster, Munster |
| Protected Salad Crops: |
Leinster |
| Nursery Stock Production: |
Leinster, Munster |
| Christmas Trees: |
Leinster, Munster |
|
Cut Foliage:
|
Munster, Leinster |
Labour In Horticulture:
The following table highlights the employment levels within the different horticultural areas:
|
Sector
|
TotalEmployment including part-time equivalent staff
|
Full time Employment
|
Part-time employment as full time equivalents
|
Seasonal employment
|
|
Potatoes
|
1344
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Mushrooms
|
1850
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Field Vegetables (3)
|
856
|
626
|
250
|
|
|
Protected Vegetable Crops
|
512
|
401
|
112
|
|
|
Soft Fruit outdoor
Soft Fruit protected
|
372
|
141
|
231
|
585
|
|
Top Fruit
|
185
|
52
|
133
|
n/a
|
|
Protected Amenity Plants (4)
|
163
|
127
|
35
|
|
|
Hardy Nursery Stock(6)
|
837
|
676
|
161
|
n/a
|
|
Total
|
6,119
|
|
|
|