Potatoes are bought once every second in Ireland.
The Irish Farmers Association says that potato growers are getting less than one-fifth of the price a consumer pays.
The National Potato Conference is hearing calls today for stronger retail regulation and an independent retail ombudsman to ensure farmers get a fairer share of the retail price.
The conference organised by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) in association with Bord Bia and Teagasc, heard that pre-pack potatoes are retailing at up to €1,400 per tonne while growers
receive less than one-fifth of that.
President of the IFA Joe Healy said many potato growers are having to sell their crop for less than it costs to produce.
He says that situation can’t be sustained and retailers and packers have to wake up to that if they want to have a potato industry in the future
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The Government is being warned it’ll have to compensate landowners if it wants to increase access to public monuments.
The Green party says it wants to open up as many monuments as possible around the country.
There are nearly 120,000 of them registered, but nearly all are on privately owned land.
Flor Mc Carthy has a farm in County Kerry with the ruins of a castle – he’s happy to allow access, but doesn’t want to be out of pocket:
