National Potato Conference 2026
The National Potato Conference will take place in the City North Hotel on Tuesday, November 17th.
Organised by IFA in association with Teagasc and Bord Bia, the conference theme is ‘ Building a Resilient Potato Sector’.
Details
Location: The City North Hotel, Gormanston, Co. Meath, K32 W562.
Time: Registration & Refreshments from 9am. Conference will run from 10am until 4pm.
You can purchase tickets below.
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Conference Agenda
9am – Registration & Tea/Coffee
10am – Ministerial address
Opening addresses from:
- Francie Gorman, IFA President
- Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc Director
10:30am – Session 1
Chaired by Jason O’Leary, IFA Potato Committee Chair
- Market Analysis – long term view and look at consumer trends – Kantar
- Who is our consumer? – Michal Slawski, Bord Bia
- Season 2026 impact in Europe & what does this mean for the future? – Europatat
- Feeding Ourselves – horticulture and a food secure Ireland? – Mick Kelly, Founder of Grow It Yourself (GIY)
- Diversification at grower level – Con Trass, The Apple Farm and IFA
Panel discussion
Facilitated by Michael Hennessy, Head of Crops Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc
Panellists include:
- Con Trass, The Apple Farm and IFA
- Michal Slawski, Bord Bia
- Mick Kelly, GIY
- Europatat representative
12:30pm – 2pm – Lunch
2pm – Session 2
Chaired by Michael Hennessy, Head of Crops Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc
- Session introduction – Horticulture Report and the mpact of irrigation – Dermot Callaghan
Breakout session 1
- Irrigation for the future
- Gavin Prentice, SRUC
- Licencing for water extraction
- EPA representative
Breakout session 2
- Varieties for the future
- Teagasc representative
- Growing alternative markets
- Tom Murray, O’Shea Farms