Shane McEntee TD has responsibility for Horticulture within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He told the recent Irish Farmers’ Association/Teagasc National Potato Conference about the challenging times faced by producers and the need to achieve “a balance between supply and market demand in a very open potato market”.
Left to Right: Mr Thomas Carpenter, IFA Potato Chairman; Mr John Bryan, President of the IFA; Mr Shane McEntee, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Professor Gerry Boyle, Director, Teagasc
Shane McEntee TD has responsibility for Horticulture within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He told the recent Irish Farmers’ Association/Teagasc National Potato Conference about the challenging times faced by producers and the need to achieve “a balance between supply and market demand in a very open potato market”.
The Minister of State stressed that the sector has many positive factors: “When I look at the potato sector I see committed growers with wide expertise in producing a quality product as well as committed growers with wide expertise in marketing a quality product”.
The Minister advised the industry that they “must look at the current and future consumer eating habits and promote their product to a far greater extent, focusing on such issues as health, versatility and distinctness”. He emphasised the need “for the message to go out to consumers that potatoes have a lower fat content than either pasta or rice”
Source: agriculture.gov – Potatoes Contain Less Fat than Pasta or Rice
