With the aim of increasing the profile and level of sales of farm produce at Farmers’ Markets, and to to encourage more direct selling between farmers and consumers, a Good Practice Standard for Irish farmers’ markets has been establish. This weekend 26 markets were awarded the standard.
Mr. Trevor Sargent T.D. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for Food and Horticulture announced the award of the Farmers’ Markets Good Practice Standard to 26 markets across the country in the first round of applications. The Minister congratulated the 26 markets saying he was delighted that over a quarter of markets across the country reached and in some cases exceeded the good practice standard.
A sample of 4 of the markets are being visited by Minister Sargent over the weekend (Balbriggan Fish and Farmers Market on Friday; Nenagh Farmers’ Market and Naas Farmers’ Market on Saturday and the Coco Market, Dun Laoghaire on Sunday).
Farmers’ Markets displaying the Good Practice Standard undertake to hold markets regularly; to stock a substantial proportion, ideally at least 50%, of local produce from the county or neighbouring counties; to accommodate seasonal and local garden/allotment produce, as well as compliance with food safety/labelling rules and criteria on good governance.
The Minister recalled that the Good Practice Standard had been born of criticism of a lack of common standards in markets. He said that
“the Good Practice Standard would give consumers more confidence in what local food markets stood for and provide producers with a good route to market and opportunity to deal directly with consumers. It is also a very good promotional tool for the market itself. Bord Bia will denote such markets on its website and Good Food Ireland has also expressed interest in including the good practice markets in its guides”.
Minister Sargent also said “at a time when some tension and problems exist in supplier/retailer relationships, the option of finding innovative routes to market needs to be examined and if feasible availed of”, Farmers’ Markets also present opportunities for entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities in growing and producing food.
Bord Bia is inviting a further round of applications and the Minister said he hoped that more markets will have reached the Standard and will now apply.
The markets awarded the Good Practice Standard are:
| 1. | Mahon Point Farmers’ Market |
| 2. | Midleton Farmers’ Market |
| 3. | Kinsale Farmers Market |
| 4. | Schull Country Market |
| 5. | Balbriggan Fish & Farmers’ Market |
| 6. | Ballincollig Farmers’ Market |
| 7. | Bee Park Resource Centre |
| 8. | Sligo Farmers’ Market |
| 9. | Moycullen Farmers’ Market |
| 10. | Milltown Farmers’ Market |
| 11. | Nenagh Farmers’ Market |
| 12. | Coppinger Row Farmers’ Market |
| 13. | Carrick-on-Shannon Farmers’ Market |
| 14. | Ennis Farmers’ Market |
| 15. | Listowel Farmers’ Market |
| 16. | Dungarvan Farmers’ Market |
| 17. | Kanturk Farmers’ Market |
| 18. | Boyle Origin Farmers’ Market |
| 19. | Coco Market - Dalkey |
| 20. | Coco Market - Marlay Park |
| 21. | Coco Market - Peoples Park, Dun Laoghaire |
| 22. | Ballyvaughan Farmers’ Market |
| 23. | AbbeyFeale Market |
| 24. | Limerick Milk Market |
| 25. | Riverside Market |
| 26. | Naas Farmers’ Market |
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