RUAS horticulture committee vice chair Adrian McGown with chair and UFU senior policy officer Patricia Erwin, UFU vegetable chair Trevor Gabbie along with Jenny McNeill RUAS and Aveyline Gabbie presenting charity cheques from funding raised at Balmoral Show 2024.
Commodity watch by senior policy officer Patricia Erwin
The aim of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) over the coming weeks is to encourage everyone to discover the diverse range of delicious fresh produce on their doorstep, making the consumer more aware of what is grown here and available right now.
The UFU are working with growers and their local supply chain partners to ensure that the supply of fresh, seasonal, nutritional produce is available over the coming weeks. With a short supply chain, local growers strive daily to produce quality fresh produce meeting consumer expectations on flavour and freshness.
These next few weeks and days are critical for growers, and 2024 like most other years, brought differing challenges for growers. Fresh produce production requires expert procession growing that delivers timely quality produce for retail, hospitality, and for the consumers’ enjoyment.
Potatoes
Chair of the UFU potato committee David McElrea, recently shared that he and UFU officials had met with DAERA giving them facts and some courage to support the local potato industry, ensuring the supply of local quality potatoes into the supply chain and onto retail shelves negating the need for high volumes of imported potatoes. The winter months and next few weeks are critical for local growers sitting with stores of potatoes for our local supply chain, meeting a unique local consumer taste pallet.
Vegetables
Chair of the UFU vegetable committee Trevor Gabbie said, “These incoming weeks for our local producers is a great chance to celebrate the fresh produce that Northern Ireland is renowned for. We are home to a number of fantastic and unique producers, who strive to deliver produce from their farm gate, into farm shops, greengrocers, processors small and large and retail outlets. All of whom play an integral and important role during the festive season and busiest time of the year, ensuring a positive consumer shop experience.
“The consumer and all retail collectively, have a huge role to play in supporting the producer and the wider local economy. We ask you to choose with passion and confidence in our local Northern Ireland produce, and enjoy all the diverse and delicious flavours, smells, and rainbow of colour Northern Ireland produce has to offer.”
The UFU on behalf of our producers encourage all consumers to stop for a moment, think and embrace the importance of local. If in doubt, check labels for provenance and have confidence that it was grown to the highest environmental and quality standards in Northern Ireland.
Supplying all
UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy congratulates our members and all fresh produce growers. When supplying a functional short local supply chain, our local growers bring professionalism, knowledge and experience to our festive season making the dinner plate bright, colourful, flavoursome and nourishing, helping to create the best conversational space with friends and family. The growers value consumer support and thank you for being loyal all year and especially at Christmas.
The UFU support the UFU potato, vegetable, apple and cereal growers exhibits in the healthy horticulture marquee, RUAS Balmoral Show. This year the RUAS Healthy horticulture committee charity money totalled £2,700.00 from proceeds raised selling plug plants and other local produce. The two charities chosen by the Gabbie family are Alzheimer’s Research UK and Parkinson’s UK in Northern Ireland, both received £1,350.00.
