News

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D. visited County Louth on Thursday 31^st March as part of his nationwide tour which will see him visit every county in the country before the end of the year.

The “Backing Rural Ireland” tour will see the Minister meet with farmers and fishers, as well as food and drink producers, and local businesses.

During these visits, the Minister will take the opportunity to visit farms, piers and food production locations to see first-hand the work that goes into making our great food and drink and will discuss opportunities and challenges for the year ahead.

In Louth, the Minister met with the Marry family on their Olive Pork pig farm in Littlegrange to discuss challenges facing the industry and to discuss their innovative method of farming. The Minister then met with the Lynch brothers in Clogherhead who business Dundalk Bay Seafoods has been in operation for 50 years. The Minister then travelled to the Cooley peninsula to visit the Muchgrange family farm run by the Hanlon family and Cooley Oysters run by the Ferguson family. He was joined in Louth by Senator Erin McGreehan.

Commenting on the tour, Minister McConalogue said “Our farmers, fishers and food and drink producers are the backbone of rural Ireland and are the everyday heroes that ensure food is on our tables every day. They also are the backbone of our €13.5bn food export sector. They support so many jobs and industries in every part of rural Ireland and ensure that we have a balanced regional economy. I will be visiting every county in Ireland to meet with some of those people and businesses in our communities who produce our world-famous food. I look forward to see you during the year and thank you for facilitating me in Louth.”