All Ireland and UK Mushroom Conference & Trade Show 2013
STOP PRESS - A DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES
All Ireland and UK Mushroom Conference & Trade Show 2013
On Thursday17th October 2013, the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan will once again become the venue for all things “Mushroom”. This year’s event, sponsored by Bord Bia, is not only open to growers from the 32 counties in Ireland but is an exciting new collaboration with the Horticultural Development Company (HDC). The organisers cordially extend a warm welcome to growers from right across the UK, for the inaugural All Ireland and UK Mushroom Conference & Trade Show. Already shaping up to be the event of the 2013 mushroom calendar, the theme for this year’s conference “Investing in the Future” reflects an ongoing determination to sustain a dynamic, competitive and technologically advanced Industry.
Conference Programme
As always, the conference will include a varied programme of talks, presentations and farm walks.The comprehensive range of topics under the microscope will include:
· an update on “MushTV” – the EU collaborative research programme developing solutions for the Mushroom Industry to deal with Trichoderma and Mushroom Virus
· strategies to maximise profit through picker managementand compost fill rate for production profitability
· an energy update for the sector
· details of the latest mushroom marketing, promotion and Industry trends.
The ever popular tradeshow will run alongside the conference, where all major Industry exhibitors will showcase the latest equipment, machinery, renewable energy technology, packaging, supplies and growing facilities. Moving with technological developments, the conference website http://mushroomconference2013irelandanduk.com/is now live for exhibitors to book their stands, or alternatively contact Martin Mahon by email at mushroomconference2013@gmail.com.
Farm Visits
Building on the success of previous post conference farm walks, Friday 18th October will offer growers even greater opportunities to visit state-of-the-art production facilities across Ireland.
· In the first ever visit North, Eamon Murray and Jelena Milos (Northway Mushrooms P.O.) will open the doors of Annaghmore Mushrooms and Orchard Mushrooms near Lurgan in County Armagh, to showcase a newly installed pack-house, incorporating the most advanced post harvest cooling systems available as well as growing facilities filling 100 tonne phase III compost per week
· For growers interested in brown mushroom production, Martin McKee’s farm near Keady is a must. A shelf farm filling 50 tonnes of Phase II compost per week that grows all brown closed cup mushrooms on Heirloom spawn.
· Finally, at Kildorough Mushrooms in Ballyjamesduff, Pat and Thomas Kiernan’s 25 tunnel farm, fills 220 tonnes Phase III bulk compost per week. Of particular interest is the recently installed Biomass steam boiler, fuelled by wood chip.
The organising committee for this years’ event include representatives from AFBI, Bord Bia, CMP, DAFM, DARD, HDC, IFA, Monaghan Mushrooms, Northway Mushrooms, Sylvan, Teagasc and the UFU. Chairman Gerry Walsh, Teagasc, states "Investing in the future is the corner stone of any vibrant, competitive Industry and it's important for growers to maximise profit at every opportunity. The conference targets a range of topics that will help them to do just that. It's an event not to be missed”.
