Barry Lupton talks to the man who stands in the front line of horticultural politics.

Kieran Dunne is the embodiment of the Irish nursery stock grower. A self made man, honest, determined, with a strong work ethic and an unwavering love of what he does, he represents everything that’s great about our industry.

Having been initiated into commercial horticulture through a family interest – the Dunne family grew much of their own fruit and vegetables and sold on the surplus – Kieran soon recognised that he had a talent for cultivation and decided to turn his hobby into a career. Spending a number of years working at Allenwood Nurseries he honed his skills and when an opportunity arose for him to develop his interest further he jumped at the chance; enrolling in a two year Diploma course at Kildalton College in 1980. Not satisfied with being just another learner, Kieran, through hard graft and studious dedication, managed to achieve Nursery Student of the Year for two years running. With a spring in his step and the deserved air of confidence of a successful graduate, Kieran secured work with SAP Nurseries, where he worked for one year before setting up his own business.

L and K Dunne Nursery was established in late 1985 by brothers Kieran and Laurence on a wing and a prayer and with the assistance of a visionary bank manger who recognised Kieran’s talents. At a time when most of their close friends were heading off to seek employment in the UK and US, the brothers bravely purchased a 16 acre track of land for €25,000 – yes that’s right €25,000. Spending the next 12 months putting down roots in their newly acquired estate, the brothers went into full production in January 1986. Over the next two years they ploughed every penny back into the business and split Laurence’s salary between them – Laurence, who had graduated from Warrenstown College, was still working full time for Bord Na Mona Nursery and didn’t come on board fully until 1988.

Since they took their first brave steps, the brothers have established an international reputation for quality, service and reliability. Kieran, for his determination and his leadership abilities, has been Chairman of the Kildare Growers Association, was a board member of the Bord Glas, and in 2004, after it’s amalgamation within Bord Bia, was appointed to sit on the main board as the industry representative for horticulture. If that’s not enough to be going along with, he’s also a dedicated husband, loving father to three young boys and when he has a spare moment, he’s also the chairman of the local football team.

In a rare moment of quiet I managed to put some serious questions to the self made man who once grew tomatoes for pocket money and who now represents all our interests at the highest level.

B. There are many things that make Ireland’s nursery sector great, connections, skills, network, sense of family and so on. What do you think represent our nursery sector’s strengths?

K. First and foremost it’s climate. We’ve got an extremely advantageous climate that allows us to grow a broad range of species over a considerable length of time. After that I’d say its access to the raw materials for cultivation and a ready proximity to the market. Ireland also has a plentiful supply of educated, loyal and hard working staff to draw upon. Even now, with the change in economic structure, we are able to attract talented foreign students who fill important gaps during bottle neck periods.

Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture have also bolstered the sectors strengths by providing background support and advice; an invaluable resource which has enabled the sector to adapt and grow. Other factors that contribute to the industry’s strength are the availability of ground space and the fact that we do not have rates for the building that we use. Finally I would say the willingness of the different parties involved in the sector to communicate is also a hugely important fortifying factor and will be something that becomes more increasingly more important as the industry evolves.

B. The Kildare Growers Trade Show has been expanding in recent years and has become a primary focal point in the sector’s calendar. What functions does the show serve and what role do you see it playing in the future?

K. The show was initially started with a view to kick starting the autumn plant purchasing season but quickly grew to deliver far more. It now represents an opportunity to meet your customers face to face – where else would you get the chance to meet 100 of your customers in two days? To catch up with colleagues, to collect outstanding payments. To network and build relationships, to discuss important issues and of course to relax. You really can’t put a value on what the Kildare show does for the industry.

As for the future, the show will continue to grow with the industry. But in order to do so it must be supported by the industry it represents. The smaller nurseries need to recognise its value and get involved. As we’ve seen over the last few years, foreign nurseries are more than capable of recognising what opportunities it offers and they are not questioning whether or not to get involved.

Whatever shape the show takes you can be assured that it will continue to evolve. The team of people behind it has never been afraid of change, in fact I’d say they thrive on it.

B. Can you comment on the amalgamation of Bord Glas with Bord Bia? How has this worked and have the anticipated benefits been achieved? Bloom with its major lifestyle dimension and link to food seems to have made a major contribution to the effective integration of amenity horticulture into the overall Bord Bia remit. Is this your view and do you feel that horticulture and its associated landscape industries have been effectively integrated under the Bord Bia umbrella?

K. The amalgamation of Bord Bia and Bord Glas took place on 1^st July 2004. A separate sub-board for horticulture was established within Bord Bia and this is a statutory sub-board so the status of the horticulture sector is protected within the amalgamated body. Furthermore a minimum of two representatives from horticulture sit on the main Bord Bia board. The staff of Bord Glas transferred to Bord Bia and continues to deliver promotional and developmental programmes under the guidance of the horticulture board and to the horticulture industry.

Bloom has been a very important vehicle to convey to the general public Bord Bia’s role in the development and promotion of Irish horticulture. While it may be obvious that the Irish Food Board has responsibility for the fruit & vegetables sectors, the Bloom event raises the profile of Bord Bia significantly with regard to amenity horticulture.

B. Bord Bia has vast experience delivering major market development and promotion projects. Was this a major element in the success of Bloom? Given that this was an inaugural event, were there any learnings that either Bord Bia or exhibitors could take from it?

K. The success of Bloom is attributable to a number of factors. Yes Bord Bia has a lot of experience in organising conferences and trade exhibitions. Bloom was the first consumer event to be organised by Bord Bia but the experience built up over a number of years was a significant factor in ensuring the quality of the event.

With the huge spend on horticulture (€1billion) annually the Irish public is ready for and deserving of a quality garden show in Ireland. Bord Bia enjoys the support of the broad horticulture industry and this was reflected in the industry’s support for Bloom once it was known that Bord Bia was the backer and organiser of the event. Obviously, as with any new event there are many improvements that can be made – but these, in the main, concern the logistics of the event, ie. parking, access, layout etc. However, we are very pleased that the main core of Bloom (the show gardens and the nursery and floral exhibits) were to the highest standards – this was critical in the inaugural year of the event. The feedback from exhibitors was very positive, the Exhibitor Survey showing a satisfaction rating of 96%.

B. It’s been said that the adoption of a levy system would stimulate innovation within the nursery sector while also encouraging growers to be more proactive and cooperative in how they approach the marketing of their products. Is the adoption of a levy inevitable and how do you think the sector would respond?

K. The bottom line is that amenity horticulture is one of the only sectors not paying a levy and Bord Bia cannot fund specific amenity focused promotions without levy input. To do so, Bord Bia would need 50% input from the sector in order to secure the other 50% from the EU. There is an ongoing consultation process addressing the levy issue but nothing has been finalised. If levies are adopted they will be compulsory for everybody. As to how people may respond if levies are adopted, well, some would be unhappy of course but others would see the value and maximise the opportunities they would offer.

B. A senior figure within the nursery stock sector recently commented that if we (the sector) continue on our current trajectory (focusing upon the sale of imported stock) that in a very short time we will have no sector at all. Do you share this opinion, and what, if anything, should the industry be doing to encourage a more sustainable future?

K. Welcome to Europe! You can’t knock anybody for being and opportunist. And even if you wanted to do it, whom would you knock? The landscape sector, the nurseries, the garden centres? Lets face facts, everybody is importing plants.

But things may change. I visited a large garden centre last week and was delighted to learn that over 80% of the stock was Irish grown, and to be honest, the quality of some of the imported stock left a lot to be desired. As for the longer term, transport issues may change how plants are bought and sold. This year alone, in response to rapidly increasing fuel and related costs, the average price of an imported trolley rose by 25%. Of course the cost of exporting stock also rose accordingly.

Irish nurseries can in no way rely upon rising costs to secure their future. They need to get up to speed on health and safety issues, continue to raise quality standards and focus on marketing, communication and networking.

While it may be cumbersome to start with, the Bord Bia Quality Programme represents a good first step and a worthwhile endeavour for any nursery wishing to get up to speed on all aspects of production.

B. With competition getting stiffer and margins getting tighter, effective marketing is becoming increasingly more important in securing a healthy bottom line. What Bord Bia initiatives are in the pipeline to ensure Ireland’s horticulture sector is marketed effectively?

K. In an increasingly competitive marketplace quality of product and business management systems are of major importance. Bord Bia has developed Quality Assurance Schemes for all areas of horticulture – fresh produce, nurseries, bulbs, Christmas trees (in development), landscape sector and garden centres. These programmes help growers and the service sector achieve the highest standards and remain competitive. Bord Bia has also initiated a number of workshops around the country for the amenity sector. The objectives of these workshops are to improve networking, increase innovation, better use PR opportunities and ultimately to increase the sales of Irish plants. More of these workshops will take place later in the year.

B. Following on from the last question, do you think, generally speaking, Irish horticultural businesses are marketing themselves effectively?

K. No. And the reason they aren’t is that most are too busy keeping on top of the day-to-day operations to find time to sit down and put an effective marketing programme in place. I’m lucky that I work in a partnership; we’ve got an complimentary skill set and can bounce ideas off one another, which is vital in developing a comprehensive approach.

It’s important for nurseries not to get too caught up in the moment and to plan for the future; as they say, it’s when the wind is behind you that you need to watch your back.

B. What concerns do you have for the nursery stock sector?

K. The rising costs of labour, transport and mechanisation set against a background of a downward price trend. I recently refused a relatively large order, as the price they were seeking was just too low, I reckon they were chancing their arm. Price pressure will have a greater effect upon the smaller grower but in the long term it affects everybody.

The sector also needs to refocus its advisory elements. With solid back-up individuals can stay ahead of problems while harnessing opportunities arising from the latest research and development. This refocusing can be achieved by improving relationships with advisory centres like Kinsealy, so they can serve our needs better.

An imminent concern for nurseries is the registration of chemicals. Three or four have already been audited and been told to send back certain chemicals. Only last week Kildare County Council asked for a list of chemicals that are stored on site. The chemical issue is a challenging one as many of the chemicals are used in quantities that are too small for companies to justify the additional registration costs.

If I were to wave a magic wand and instantly solve any nursery stock concern, it would be transport. The sector needs a dedicated, flexible and responsive distribution network that frees nursery owners from the restrictive and cost prohibitive implications of managing their own deliveries.

B. It was reported recently that the Australian nursery and landscape sectors are suffering a severe downturn as a result of drought conditions and the rising cost of water. Australians consumers just aren’t buying plants because they can’t afford to water them. To the best of your knowledge, are Irish nurseries or relevant government bodies carrying out any research to assess the future impact of water shortages upon the Irish sector?

K. Environmental issues are a concern for everybody and the nursery sector will adapt to change as it always does. Issues surrounding water tend to flow from urban centres where population densities give rise to increased perceptions of water shortages. Most nurseries are in fact supplied by their own wells.

As for the future, the water shortage issue will need to be tackled at a governmental level with advice and grant aid schemes that facilitate nurseries incorporating the latest technology. With greater controls regarding environmental impacts trickling down to ground level more nurseries will start to adopt closed and/or part recycled water systems. If the relevant parties are willing to cooperate in a united approach and are provided with the necessary support, I see no reason why any environmental issue cannot be easily tackled.

B. Many of Ireland’s nursery leaders are reaching retirement age and there appears to be a shortage of replacements coming up through the ranks. What do you think could be done to encourage more young people to get involved in commercial horticulture?

I personally don’t think there is a shortage. I’m first generation Irish grower and it’s only now that the second generation are making their presence felt. The new frontline of Irish growers includes Niamh and Padraig Tully, Tim Schram, Matthew Lohan, Chris Rentes, Christopher Byrne, and William Smith, among many others.

Nursery stock production is a great industry to work in. Who wants to work in an office or on a building site? The industry has grown up and nursery stock is becoming sexy; just look at Bloom.