Howell is based in ICL’s expanding growing media factory in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. He brings 18 years of experience in the professional horticulture market, having previously worked at Bord na Móna and offers key insights into the sector's recent hurdles.
Howell highlights the widespread challenges Irish growers and manufacturers have navigated in recent years, including:
Global and supply chain disruptions: Overcoming pandemic-related constraints, raw material shortages, and maintaining adequate factory inventories.
Cost and operational pressures: Managing rising material and logistics expenses alongside ongoing labor shortages.
Environmental and market Shifts: Addressing climate change impacts and alleviating growers' anxieties over supply reliability.
ICL entered the Irish growing media market in 2021 following Bord na Móna’s exit. Since then, the company has introduced key product lines including Levington Advance, Solutions & Sustain, and Fibagro Advance, resulting in plant quality and consistency that Howell notes is now higher than ever.
As climate volatility continues, Howell stresses the growing importance of advanced crop management solutions like H2Gro Liquid & Granular water management products, Osmoform, Osmocote, and Lalguard.
To feature these innovations and demonstrate custom mix production, ICL is opening a new showroom at the Portlaoise facility to showcase its full range.
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