winning cucumber farmer's Budget hopes
Shane Halpin, the first Dubliner to win the FBD Young Farmer of the Year award, discusses his role as a commercial cucumber producer. He highlights the importance of the horticulture sector and his hopes for government support in the upcoming budget.
Why it matters
It sheds light on the challenges and successes of small-scale agricultural businesses within the Irish economy.
Cucumber producer Shane Halpin has been reflecting on the "whirlwind" few weeks since he was crowned FBD Young Farmer of the Year.
The horticulturalist's success is particularly noteworthy, given that he is the first Dubliner to claim the title in the competition's 28-year history.
"It was a great achievement for myself and a great achievement for horticulture and for Dublin.
"I'm delighted with myself, just delighted to get the recognition," he said.
Hailing from Lusk in Co Dublin, an area which has long been synonymous with horticulture, the 32-year-old co-owns Welgro Produce, a seven-acre nursery that produces around three million cucumbers for the Irish market annually.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in