Wexford farmer Des Jeffares and wife Margaret are Ireland’s last remaining commercial blackcurrant growers. They are launching a new product, Mr Jeffares Blackcurrant Cordial.

At peak, there were up to 500 acres of blackcurrants in the southeast. The market effectively collapsed following the accession of eastern European countries. Blackcurrants are a hardy plant, well able to cope with the tough winters of Poland and the Baltic states.

Prices, which had reached €810/tonne in 1997, had fallen to €500 by 2002.

Six growers, who supplied SmithKlineBeecham for Ribena, remained until that contract was discontinued three years ago.

The 100 acres on the Jeffares’ farm is now the only commercial plantation left.