The All Ireland Mushroom Conference & Trade Show will be held in the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan on Thursday, 20th October 2011. The event, sponsored by Bord Bia, will once again bring together growers, scientists and suppliers from all 32 counties of Ireland.
The theme for this year's conference is ‘Maintaining the Momentum' in recognition of the growth that has taken place in the last few years and the industry's determination to sustain this growth. Opening addresses will be given by Mr. Shane McEntee T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with responsibility for Food, Horticulture & Food Safety and Gerry Lavery, Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, Northern Ireland. The conference will include a varied programme of talks, presentations and workshops with speakers from Teagasc, Bord Bia and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).
A tradeshow will coincide with the conference where 26 exhibitors will showcase the latest equipment, machinery, renewable energy technology, packaging, supplies and growing facilities. Finally, the post conference packhouse and farm visits the next day will offer the opportunity to visit state of the art grower facilities at Monaghan Mushrooms and the newly installed biomass steam boiler at Peadar McGee's farm.
Gerry Walsh, Teagasc, states "It's important for growers to protect the gains they've made in the last few years, and we have a range of topics that will help them to do just that, including saving on energy bills, the latest disease and waste management updates, and an overview of current marketing conditions. It's a must for any mushroom grower to attend".
The organising committee for this year's event includes representatives from AFBI, Bord Bia, CMP, DAFF, DARD, Monaghan Mushrooms, Sylvan, Teagasc, Walsh Mushrooms, the UFU, and growers, Leslie Codd and Cathal O'Reilly.