Plan to up production and promotion of Midlands food
A three-year strategy aimed at developing and promoting food and drink from the Midlands has been launched. Described as "ambitious", the strategy wants both to help with production and to build local pride in produce from this area, while at the same time catering for both the needs of the visitor and export markets.
"The objective is to create a unique food and drink eco-system where local people are proud of their local produce, where companies have the capabilities and supports to create world-class hospitality and product experiences, where scaling and exporting is enabled, whilst respecting nature and our environment," the document says.
It recommends appointment of a dedicated Programme Manager to coordinate the Food and Drink Strategy for the region.
The MidlandsIreland.ie Regional Food and Drink Strategy 2021-2024 was launched on Thursday by Minister of State Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Robert Troy, at an outdoor event at Cloughan Farm and Cookery School, Abbeyshrule, County Longford.
Minister Troy said that the strategy focuses on strengthening the food and drink sector in the region through four strategic pillars: sustainability, awareness, export capability and food tourism.
"This is about making the midlands the most sustainable regional food and drink ecosystem in the country," Minister Troy said, adding that the strategy recognises and seeks to reinforce the unique potential of the midlands food and drink offering – one of excellence, visibility, and pride.
"With its emphasis on collaboration across all stakeholders and the commitment demonstrated to date, I believe we are making positive progress to achieving these aims."
The strategy was developed with the support of the Local Enterprise Offices in Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath and the local authorities of those counties.
The working group that prepared the strategy was co-chaired by Vincent Cleary, MD of Glenisk, and Evelyn Reddin, head of Enterprise, LEO Laois, who said in the foreword that it was an industry-led strategy and that it would depend on the collaboration and commitment of all stakeholders and the regional producers to succeed.
"Collectively we are making a commitment to work together to grow the value and reputation of the midlands food and drink both nationally and internationally," they stated.
A challenge on the road ahead, identified through consumer research, is that midland people have relatively low awareness of their own regional food and drink culture: "Respondents can readily associate Dublin with coddle and Guinness, Armagh with apples and Wexford with strawberries but struggle to find a strong association for the ‘midlands’," the strategy document states.
It goes on to discuss tourism, describing it as ‘vitally important’ to the national economy, but revealing that the midlands economic region commands low market share with 3% of tourism visits and 2% of tourism spend: "A significant opportunity exists to improve our share of tourism visits, dwell time and spend, based on harnessing an emerging food and drink culture," states the document.
The controversial area of beef production is addressed in the report, and the document says that with sustainability in mind, there is an opportunity to re-position the region in sustainable beef production, based on organic transition or 100% grass-fed systems.
"With a beef cattle population of over 120,000 head in the four counties, there is sufficient scale for commercialisation of a sustainable, differentiated offer with a specific identity, effectively a re-brand for the ‘Mullingar Heifer’."
The document says that for farmers who don’t make a full transition to 100% grass fed or organic, there remains the opportunity to reduce emissions through the Origin Green’s Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) and Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS).
In a bid to forge further into new markets, the strategy says a board should be established to organise a Midland Food and Drink Expo, potentially in 2022, to engage national and international buyers.
It also recommends the development of a network of vibrant farmers markets in all four counties: "Farmers markets offer an accessible point of entry for farmers who wish to diversify their business activities," the document says.
View the Midlands Regional Food and Drink Strategy 2021- 2024 or download a pdf of the Strategy on www.MidlandsIreland.ie.