Agriland.ie Thousands of jobs in the horticulture sector are under threat due to the current prohibition of peat harvesting on all Irish bogs covering a landmass over 30ha.
Peat extraction on all bogs over 30ha is restricted at the moment due to the striking down of legislation regulating the harvesting of peat. (The situation has developed in light of a significant High Court ruling that was reached last September – explained below.)
As a result, a large number of privately-owned companies that supply peat for horticultural means – for example, those supplying peat for mushroom casing (a blended layer of wet peat that stimulates the formation of mushrooms) – are grappling with significant supply-chain uncertainty in the midst of this year’s harvest.
Semi-state company Bord na Móna recently highlighted how its peat mining operations are also being impacted by the situation; plus many turf contractors who cut on Bord na Móna bogs are also being prevented from fulfilling turf-cutting duties.
John Neenan, the chairperson of Growing Media Ireland (GMI) – which represents the majority of the country’s privately-owned producers of horticulture peat including: Klasmann-deilmann in Rathowen, Co. Westmeath; Erin Horticulture in Birr, Co. Offaly; Bulrush Horticulture; Westland Horticulture; Harte Peat in Clones, Co. Monaghan; Abbeylara Peat in Cloonfore; Co. Longford; and many others – outlined how private companies, that are in the process of trying to get permission to carry out this summer’s harvest, are impacted by the standstill.
