Flahavan’s invests €1.8m to add 6,800 tonnes of organic oat storage

Background and scale of the investment

Company and government perspectives

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon welcomed the investment and linked it to Ireland's ambitions for organic production, saying that increasing domestic storage and processing capacity supports growth in organic production and the market for Irish organic growers.

Johnny Flahavan described organic oats as an increasingly important part of the business and said the company is investing in infrastructure, grower relationships and market development to support that growth.

How the investment will be used operationally

• Improve segregation of organic and conventional crops to meet quality and certification standards.
• Strengthen the mill's ability to manage seasonal swings and maintain continuity of supply to customers.
• Provide more control over quality parameters important for milling performance.

Grower support and supply challenges

Flahavan's highlights that growing organic oats can be challenging—weather and harvest conditions affect yields and milling quality. To address that, the company provides hands‑on support and specialist agronomy advice to its organic growers and convenes an annual Organic Growers Forum to share practical guidance and align on quality standards.

Flahavan's officially unveiled the new storage during a site visit by 35 organic ambassadors representing 23 countries, signaling international interest in the company's organic oats capability.

Practical implications for growers and the sector

For organic growers, the added domestic storage capacity can mean a more reliable local outlet and clearer expectations on quality for milling. For the Irish organic sector, the infrastructure reduces reliance on short supply windows and supports the scaling of organic oat production, provided growers can manage agronomic risks that affect yields and quality.

Flahavan's and the industry still face variability in organic oat supply driven by weather and harvest conditions. The investment reduces one bottleneck—storage and segregation—but farmer‑level production risks continue to influence how quickly organic oat volumes can grow.

The €1.8m silo project increases Flahavan's ability to handle organic oats at scale and supports closer collaboration with growers. The upgrade focuses on practical improvements—segregation, quality control and supply continuity—while acknowledging that farm production constraints will continue to shape market growth.