Mentors should be used to teach younger people how to produce artisan food, the inaugural meeting of the Artisan Industry Committee was told yesterday.
Following the meeting of the group, which has been established as part of the Agri-Vision 2015 Action Plan, Minister of State for Food Trevor Sargent said the suggestion regarding mentors had come from the Federation of Irish Beekeepers.
He said the federation had successfully used a mentor system for its younger members and this had worked very well down the years and was carried out on a voluntary basis.
"I think we need such a system in the production of artisan food to encourage young people to get into business and into farming," said the Minister, who chairs the group. Mr Sargent said the artisan food sector, estimated to be worth over €300 million a year, was essential from a farming and financial viewpoint.
The setting up of the committee, he said, was a logical progression from the work already started with the local authorities on how farmers' markets should be run across the country.
The committee, which will meet again on June 10th, has 13 members drawn from the small food sectors including one from Northern Ireland.
The committee members are: Darina Allen, Ballymaloe Cookery School; Gina Ferguson, Gubeen, Schull; Jim Buckley, Cork County Council veterinary office; James Mc Geough, Connemara Fine Foods; Con Trass, the Apple Farm, Cahir, Co Tipperary; Caroline Robinson, Bandon, Co Cork, representing farmers' markets; Eamon Lonergan, Co Waterford, Cais farmhouse cheese group; Jim Brennan, Leitrim Organic Ltd; Marc Michael, Kilpedder, Co Wicklow, organic vegetables; Peter Ward, Country Choice, Nenagh; Martina Clarke, Irish Association of Seafood Companies; Michael Gleeson, Federation of Irish Beekeepers; and Robert Ditty, Ditty's Home Bakery, Castledawson, Co Derry.