Vegetable growers call for emergency aid

Farmers have called on the Minister for Agriculture to provide emergency support to vegetable growers whose entire crops are …

Farmers have called on the Minister for Agriculture to provide emergency support to vegetable growers whose entire crops are at risk after the recent wet weather.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) said vegetable growers are in danger of going out of business following the recent bad weather and rain. It warned that as much as half of the lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower crop in the Republic may already have been lost.

The high levels of rainfall has also prevented potato growers from spraying their crops which increases the risk of potato blight.

Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, reported yesterday that the first outbreaks of potato blight were found on farms in Wexford and Cork in late May.