Comments for Agriland.ie

Comment on Minister Creed denies claims Department breaches licences to shoot badgers by Shane Kennedy

Shane Kennedy — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 15:22:35 +0000

I believe that the use of snares, by anyone, is illegal. If not, they certainly should be. Could we bring a prosecution against any officers setting snares, even if just for cruelty.

Comment on Latest UK milk production data shows significant fall by fennel

fennel — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 11:50:01 +0000

Putin has stated he will not subject his population to gmo foods. He says the Russians will be strong while the west is poisoning its people with pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Comment on Hare coursing will not be banned after Dail vote defeats Bill by Grainne Kirk

Grainne Kirk — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:11:54 +0000

Ignorant politicians in favour of animal cruelty will pay at the price at the next elections.

Comment on Creed warns of challenging Autumn for beef farmers by sean

sean — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 22:27:38 +0000

as i have a very keen interest in the Turkish market i would love to know where minister Creed gets his information regarding the Turkish market as it is not open and will not be for the foreseeable future with all the red tape that is surrounding it,Just because it lands on his desk and he signs a few pieces of paper and his civil servant takes it away and files it that means its open.Minister Creed would want to follow up what he signs,could he tell everyone when these cattle are leaving?,where are they leaving from?have they been sourced and who is sourcing them? Is it by road by ship or what means of travel have been arranged?If it is going to happen when is it to happen,These are just a few basic questions that need to be answered why the secrecy and god does the cattle industry need this so badly farmers hauliers marts and everyone will benefit from this and if it would get the backing that it so needs and promoted it would be supported by the farmer but if we do not know what exactly they require eg breeds,weight,weaned animals? what vaccinations if any.Alittle bit of information would go a long way as they say a dumb priest never got a parish.

Comment on Europe fails to agree on glyphosate extension by A. Kyle

A. Kyle — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 23:01:47 +0000

Glyphosate? Another good reason to leave the EU!

Comment on Live exports to Turkey get green light by James

James — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 22:07:16 +0000

who are the main exporters to Turkey and where are they sourcing the animals

Comment on Sterling hits lowest point in eight weeks as Brexit looms by Bill Roy

Bill Roy — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 11:32:37 +0000

Actually your title is totally wrong wrong. On Feb. 26th the pound was at US$1.38628 and on April 7th the pound was at 1.23574 Euros.

Comment on ‘New 48-hour TB blood test not accurate enough for use on Irish farms’ by Matthew Weaver

Matthew Weaver — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 13:47:39 +0000

“The skin test is 99.5% accurate, this means that it is only wrong in one in 10,000 cases.”

I am sure that Professor Eamon Gormley from the School of Veterinary Medicine in UCD has a better understanding of statistics than a simple dairy farmer like me, but if a test is 99.5% accurate then surely 1 in 200 cases would be wrong?

Comment on ‘Northern Ireland playing catch up on BVD but is on target’ by Bruno Cappellozza

Bruno Cappellozza — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 23:52:37 +0000

What were/are the major practices (management, nutritional, and treatment) that can be pointed out to reduce the BRD cases?

Comment on Farmers in Northern Ireland look set to vote ‘leave’ in Brexit referendum by Robbie

Robbie — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 20:49:15 +0000

June 23 could be independence day

Comment on Small print of new beef genomics scheme ‘unacceptable’ – ICSA by John power

John power — Wed, 25 May 2016 17:41:23 +0000

Is there any way to get out without having to pay back what you got. I have not made profit from this.

Comment on France to ban glyphosate – regardless of EU vote this week by Edmund

Edmund — Wed, 18 May 2016 19:05:37 +0000

France are right to be Cautious. Thats not the same as saying they are right to ban. The recent paper on glyphosate by the WHO is just a narrowly targeted aggregate study on non-Hodgkin lymphoma with no new research having been done. Its the equivalent of saying don’t ban drink driving because I know 10 people who were fine to drive home after drinking only bucks fizz for the night. Though the jury is still out on glyphosate (It would require an intensive multi-year and multi-site trial to be sure either way). The WHO paper offered no new data in its defense. With the notable exception of Agriland who chose a misleading title but had all the facts correctly presented in their actual article, most other news organisations haven’t really understood the difference in merit between an aggregate paper and new research.

Comment on Do farmers really pay their fair share of tax? by John

John — Tue, 17 May 2016 11:33:43 +0000

In the picture above its the £ sign that is used
What happened to the € or is this article published in the North

Comment on 5 things that could make your sheep farm susceptible to maggots by Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 13 May 2016 17:40:56 +0000

For some time now australian researchers have discovered a link between the level of urine staining on the breech of a sheep and their predisposition to blow fly or ‘flystrike’. Importantly it was also shown that you can effectively breed for resistance as the level of urine staining is actually a heritable trait (amongst others) and thus we can select these animals for slaughter instead of breeding.

I am disappointed that this relatively simple message is not being transferred to the farmer by the research groups in ireland.

Comment on Russian pork prices rise as ban on EU imports continues into third month by Jenson

Jenson — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:54:19 +0000

Say what you want but Russian pig industry has been making huge leaps forward ever since the initial import ban on live pigs from the EU was imposed in 2012. Meanwhile, European producers have been unable to find an equally appealing export market, causing the sector to decline.

Comment on Do your tractor tyres meet the RSA’s requirements? – If not you could face a fine by Bogged down

Bogged down — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 14:51:37 +0000

What is legal thread depth for an agricultural tyre ? How do you measure it ? Don’t forget all the different types of agricultural tyres and patterns on the market .

Comment on The real challenge for Joe Healy starts now by abbie

abbie — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 09:19:02 +0000

Best of luck to the man he sure needs it

Comment on Great guide to new rules around using pesticides by Margaret Donnelly

Margaret Donnelly — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 16:45:22 +0000

The courses vary in duration….see below for more details of different courses

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/boom-sprayer-courses-varying-by-as-much-as-e200/

Comment on Great guide to new rules around using pesticides by Neil Fogarty

Neil Fogarty — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 15:41:46 +0000

Is this a one day course ?

Comment on ‘Resistance to wind turbines is large and growing’ by Philip Hunt

Philip Hunt — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:19:55 +0000

Good truthfull article wish i had only lost 2 -3 % though more like 20% on the last evaluation, then ask could i sell it being 800m from a 6 turbine wind farm

Comment on ‘Resistance to wind turbines is large and growing’ by MIcheal

MIcheal — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 07:46:48 +0000

Common sense would tell you that wind farms are bound to affect property prices. Some of the wind farms planned for the Irish midlands are huge monstrosities higher than the Dublin Spire and Liberty Hall combined.
In other countries these wind farms are build offshore, only in Ireland would anyone consider building them 500 metres from someone’s front door.
Developers pretend they are trying to save the planet, in reality they are only interested in the subsidies.

Comment on Science ‘sidelined’ in Roundup renewal debate by Anthony Piscitelli

Anthony Piscitelli — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 23:07:51 +0000

EFSA report was nonsense, and invalid as most of the scientists involved worked for Monsanto either currently or in the past.

Comment on ‘Livestock perfectly happy and safe around wind turbines’ – IWEA by T.L. Wasilewski

T.L. Wasilewski — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 19:09:33 +0000

What a poorly researched and presented article. Go to the lobbying group for the wind industry and this is the crap you get. Do the foot work and interview people affected and there are some in Ireland that that are speaking out. They are quoted in the newspapers plus go to http://www.windaction.org

Comment on ‘Livestock perfectly happy and safe around wind turbines’ – IWEA by Tom

Tom — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 03:21:19 +0000

This is exactly the crap they wind companies puked to the people of rural Ontario in Canada about 10 to 12 years ago. However now that these people have experienced these lies there is hardly anyone left that wants anything to do with these “carpet baggers” and “snake oil salesmen”.

Comment on How one farmer plans to increase dairy cows numbers by 33% in 5 years with no extra land by Kieran Ryan

Kieran Ryan — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 21:43:34 +0000

Hi folks – I’m 50, roots on a dairy farm in limerick but now live in North kildare – I’ve always been interested in food production (but laughingly allergic to milk). I have huge empathy for farmers but I’m concerned at a number of levels about increasing dairy herd and other issues….

a) where is the market for more intensive produce – especially given current EU trade talks. The price you get is ridiculously low and not just dairy – I’ve never seen beef so cheap etc.

b) the distance from food production for most of the population is unbelievable – I will buy a steak when it’s purple, it’s ready to cook at that stage and usually not pumped full of water, but if people knew about the frankly horrors of over intensive farming (particularly fowl) – what would they eat?

c) this “feed” which is disturbingly high percentage wise – where is it sourced, is it a GMO based product – I have to admit while I appreciate pressure for weight gain etc, a lot of the population I fear will reject them (rightly or wrongly).

d) monoculture/pesticides/herbicides (and implied seed supply regulation) is going to kill irelands reputation – never mind that a third of all big pharma antibiotics is spent on food chain animals, never mind the ridiculous situation in the states where anti anxiety and digestive meds are routinely given to animals because the cattle are fed crap they are not designed to digest!

e) the environment – OK have to admit I’m a bit green ? I’ve read a lot but that’s nothing compared to the real information you know about – why pump fertiliser into land that can be percentage planted with “weeds” that supplement animal diet, cut back into the soil, retain carbon (and nutrients), maintain pollinating insect health, reduce animal anxiety (I was surprised about that one too) etc. Feck the argument about water charges 1% of world water is “fresh” – why pump phosphates etc into the land that causes such pollution – again what’s likely to increase farm incomes – reputation or production.

f) Europe – false market for 3 decades now at least. I love rural ireland not as some idealistic historical fantasy but as a culture and industry that has to move away from subsidies and into the real world of global economics to survive. Bee keeping, crop ritation/mixing, integration of technology without loosing an ethos, energy, school tours, IMAGE, forestry and realistic prices for produce etc. Big producers shagging farmers up as much as big banks, shortsighted government etc are shagging up the rest of us. I think linking consumers closer to producers and that image I refer to – I think you might get more support amongst the general public if less complaining about issues I understand but very few of my friends do. I went out with a lovely girl years ago who roared laughing at hens running around on a road in wicklow somewhere – she had never seen a chicken right side up!

Serious apologies to anyone I might offend – I admit limited knowledge but genuine interest – I’m more than prepared to chat. Thanks for reading?

Comment on Will wind turbines negatively impact on the price of your property? by Philip Hunt

Philip Hunt — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 08:05:02 +0000

Wind turbines can result in major financial losses for the neighbors. A new report from the University of Copenhagen shows that a wind turbine can reduce house prices in the neighborhood with up to 15 per cent. http://finans.dk/live/erhverv/ECE7201761/Vindm%C3%B8ller-s%C3%A6nker-lokale-huspriser/?ctxref=ext

Comment on Will wind turbines negatively impact on the price of your property? by Philip Hunt

Philip Hunt — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 07:55:31 +0000

Some truths on living by a wind farm in Co. Limerick, and yes i have heard of home owners losing as much as 50% on there homes, if they can sell them http://windfarmtorture.blogspot.ie/

Comment on Will wind turbines negatively impact on the price of your property? by d fing

d fing — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 19:16:43 +0000

The link to the London School of Econnomics study is here for anyone who wants to read an independent study ( not one paid for by the wind industry). http://personal.lse.ac.uk/gibbons/papers/windfarms%20and%20Houseprices%20November%202013%20v5.pdf

Comment on Will wind turbines negatively impact on the price of your property? by d fing

d fing — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 18:03:58 +0000

This is the worst type of fluff piece for the wind industry and reads exactly like a promotional piece, with misleading half – truths mixed with dreadful PR spin not remotely based on independent evidence. Point 1, What industry claim..”power the equivalent of 1.6m Irish homes.”?? Truth..that’s at full theoretical capacity. Real life evidence show us that 30% of capacity is the best the wind fleet can hope for. In actual fact, if the wind is not blowing, which happens regularly, all the wind turbines put together wouldn’t power 1 home, let alone 1.6m. Point 2. The wind Jobs myth…Jobs are not a measure of economic benefit. To accurately ascertain the net employment benefits to Ireland from wind development requires an independent economic rigor that must include jobs created, jobs displaced from existing energy producers, jobs displaced from impacted industries, jobs displaced from loss of competitiveness and the cost of each job through subsidisation by the consumer. Point 3. Property values. Wind turbines negatively affect the value of property by varying amounts depending on the proximity of the individual house to the wind farm. Five different studies concur that this drop is between 11% and 40% for homes located within 2 km of a wind farm. Perhaps the most comprehensive and independent study to date is that of the London School of Economics (LSE) (2013). This report, which will be launched in Spring 2014 and includes over a million property transactions, has found that larger wind farms of 20 or more turbines reduce property values by up to 12% within 2 km and by 3% at an 8 to 14 km distance. They also concluded that the amount required to compensate householders for their loss of visual amenity would be £12 million approx. for a typical 11 turbine wind farm based on the average number of households with turbines currently visible within 4 km. Importantly from an Irish perspective where many large wind farms are planned, they say; “The corresponding value for large wind farms will be much higher than this as their impact is larger and spreads out over much greater distances”

Comment on Intervention ceiling almost reached by Member States by TSW

TSW — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:39:54 +0000

Well done Phil.,
The full package of measures, I suppose, refer to the number of fingers being used to plug the leaks.
Another outstanding piece of patchwork, temporary relief work, coming from a man with a legacy of destruction and incompetence left in his wake.
God help european farmers ans consumers.
TSW

Comment on €60m worth of fuel could be lying unused in farmers’ sheds by Eamonn

Eamonn — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 18:43:22 +0000

Fine if it’s lying around and will never be used for anything else. A disaster if we start using land to grow fuel for power stations instead of growing food for people.

Comment on Signs of uplift in EU dairy product prices – IFA by arie

arie — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 14:54:21 +0000

If they’re all losing money why are they up over 20% from last year. It must still be working for them as they aren’t contracting!

Comment on Pay scandal hits IFA income – as farmers pull levies by abbie

abbie — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 22:15:33 +0000

can’t the IFa see that using meat factories and coops to collect their levies weakens their hand when dealing with IFA need to think of a better way of collecting money

Comment on Commission response to farm crisis ‘neither bold nor decisive’ says MEP by arie de jong

arie de jong — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 14:39:44 +0000

Tell me those farmers didn’t see this coming! They have been building up to this for the last few years, and as soon as the production quotas were done away with they loaded up their barns. It was going to be survival of the fittest in their minds. Reality has hit them square in the face. This will last awhile!!

Comment on Research shows that children who grow up on dairy farms develop less allergies by ruby

ruby — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 16:31:14 +0000

“Research shows that children who grow up on dairy farms develop FEWER allergies”

Sorry, grammar Nazi here.

Comment on Glanbia launches new cheap loan fund for farmers (Here’s how it works) by abbie

abbie — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 14:33:40 +0000

Is this really a good thing or is this just tying down farmer/supplier even more? “selling ones soul to the company store”

Comment on ‘Rebel’ suppliers to receive their marching orders from Dairygold by Brendan

Brendan — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 19:32:37 +0000

Well done to the rebel group, it sounds like a crazy contract

Comment on ‘Rebel’ suppliers to receive their marching orders from Dairygold by Michael

Michael — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:42:28 +0000

Well done to ‘rebel suppliers’ for taking a stand

Comment on Fertiliser price update: ‘Farmers buying on a hand to mouth basis’ by Ned McCarthy

Ned McCarthy — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 19:59:44 +0000

Why are fertiliser prices higher here than in other EU countries?

Comment on Herd management system a national first for Kerry farmer by kenneth o connell

kenneth o connell — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:48:53 +0000

HI agriland could you please ensure a fair and balanced views on ifa presidential canditates and stop been so biast towards joe healy
p:s flor mccarthy for the job.

Comment on Danone forecasts European milk price rebound in the second half of the year by benny

benny — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 16:44:08 +0000

I doubt it. Farms are still maintaining their numbers while China is ever expanding its heads at breakneck speed with the hope that the price will recover.

Comment on Sheep Marts: Strong factory demand keeping lamb prices high by Edmond Phelan

Edmond Phelan — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 23:13:29 +0000

A SUPPLY SHORTAGE IS THE ONLY SHOW IN TOWN.

Comment on ‘Ireland can be a world leader in addressing climate change issues’ by mememine69

mememine69 — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 17:12:53 +0000

Is climate science also only 99% certain the planet isn’t flat? Who’s the REDNECK?
Will climate change scientists ever agree it’s as real as they already agree smoking causes cancer before it’s too late to say it?
Or is it already too late after 35 years of climate action delay?

Comment on Time running out for Ireland to ‘opt out’ of growing GMO crops by Andy G

Andy G — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 09:36:31 +0000

Should be the farmers choice to grow what they want,.. provided it’s labled as such and customers can make informed choices of their own as opposed to having some uninformed, unscientific ecofanatics enforcing a blanket ban.
Provided new GMO’s are proven to be safe on a case by case basis I personally have no problem with consuming them.
Regarding the issue of crop patents,…. as a believer in true free markets I believe Intellectual Property in general is a violation of physical property rights,… ergo this is a problem that extends well beyond the GMO industry and isn’t a case against modifying crops in it’s own right.

Comment on IFA Elections 2016: Joe Healy profile by James

James — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 20:50:34 +0000

Best of luck Joe. The west has been forgotten over the years let’s hope this can change.

Comment on The last ever Land Rover Defender was made this week by Land Rover

Land Rover — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 13:48:02 +0000

“Production of one of the world’s most iconic jeeps ceased this week after 68 years.”
Incase you didn’t know Jeep is an American brand, and this is the Landrover Defender, a very different vehicle.

Comment on ‘Sheep farmers need to rethink dosing strategies as resistance is growing’ by alan

alan — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 23:10:48 +0000

i wonder how long it has taken some educated person to find this out about some commonly used drenches, one local sheep farmer in this area was at his wits end after worm and fluke infestations almost destroyed his flock and to be fobbed off by the manufacturer by a get out claus they had printed in tiny writing on the container

Comment on Report says over 2.5m acres of land better suited to forestry than agriculture by Bob Wilson

Bob Wilson — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 14:26:21 +0000

With the problem of floods still fresh in our minds, we need to consider how to manage the land (where 95% of rain falls) in a truly sustainable way that balances economic, environmental and social factors. The practice of vertically-aligned drainage channels, commonplace in Ireland, taking run-off directly into streams and rivers, seriously exacerbates flooding. Other countries insist on gently sloping drainage patterns with ponds and percolation areas which slows down the run-off, allowing river authorities time to adjust water levels. Native woodlands also help take up run-off as they act as natural sponges and their deeper, more extensive tree root systems take up more water which the trees then transpire into the atmosphere.

Comment on ‘Cryptosporidia is the number one cause of calf scour in Ireland’ by Tom Staunton

Tom Staunton — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 08:41:52 +0000

FYI. Cryptosporidium is not a bacteria but a protozoa.

Comment on ‘We’re going to have to dredge rivers and clear trees’ to let the water flow by Lawrence

Lawrence — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 09:44:01 +0000

When the land is bare and the river channels straightened there is no STORAGE of water. These practices accelerate the water and increase the rates of flooding downstream. ‘Slow the Flow’ is the mantra needed here. Active bogs, native woodlands (as is being planted by KerryLife) and densely vegetated and transition river corridor habitat all serve this purpose. There are some great examples of slowing the flow in England. I am not for one minute saying we could have prevented flooding in the Shannon catchment; is a natural process and which improves fertility of the land: flooding. There is no doubt, however, that human activities on the land, including ubiquitous arterial drainage have exacerbated peak flooding.

Comment on ‘We’re going to have to dredge rivers and clear trees’ to let the water flow by Graeme Cahill

Graeme Cahill — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 19:40:10 +0000

John Comer should contact the Environment Agency in the UK and find out how they got on several years ago dredging and removing trees from water courses, it made the flooding situation much worse by actually increasing the rate at which water moved through the system.
The only long term solution is to actually plant more trees, reinstate bogs, partial damming, and allow certain areas farmland/floodplains to flood.
Not this knee jerk, environmentally detrimental practice of clearance

Comment on The UK outside the EU could not negotiate with the power the EU provides – Phil Hogan by col

col — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 08:27:24 +0000

If we were negotiating our own trade deals they would be negotiated in the interests of the UK not the EU.

Why does anyone think China wouldn’t want to talk to the worlds 5th largest economy? The suggestion is just ridiculous.

Comment on Full IFA elections for Executive Board in spring and new two-year terms proposed by Simon.White

Simon.White — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 17:23:45 +0000

At last the reality of the situation has finally dawned on those who appeared to think that they could carry on ignoring the widely expressed wishes of the members of IFA . It became increasingly clear that the leadership of IFA needs a new mandate, by election, from the membership to restore any sense of conviction that they voice the wishes of the members they represent. I commend those who have succeeded in making the executive board come to their senses and I commend the executive board for doing the right thing in putting the interests of the members of the organisation before their own personal IFA careers. The acting national IFA chairman deserves respect and support in finding a way forward and it is up to the executive council now to ensure that what is proposed happens. The chances are that IFA can be saved from total disaster now.

Comment on Opinion: IFA will remain in turmoil as long as Executive Board remains defiant by Simon White

Simon White — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 17:20:35 +0000

There appear to be a strong opinion within the executive council of IFA that the priority has to focus on getting beyond the recent revelations so that the important lobbying work for farmers that is what IFA is set up to do can continue without the distraction of this unfortunate episode. I think every farmer in the Country would agree with this. However the disconnect between the Council members and the vast majority of farmers in the Country exists because the council members appear unwilling to take responsibility for the incredible mistakes the council made, whereas the majority of IFA members hold the council responsible for so damaging the organisation as to make it a huge task to win back our credibility.
It is not just the money, or even the lack of transparency around the money, it is that a culture within council, which many suspected was operating for quite some time. has been brought to light. This culture involves putting self interest before the interests of the farmers they are elected to serve. There is an attitude prevailing where those on council have convinced themselves that, no matter what indiscretions they might have committed, they and only, they possess the where-with-all to get IFA out of this mess. Only they know the rules under which the organisation has to operate. When it suits them they can change the rules, which is what got us to where we are now. But when it does not suit them they cry horror predicting that everything will crumble if we do not adhere to the rules. But this is not so. These people have sadly demonstrated that they are not the best people to get the organisation back up and running properly. The utter failure to accept that their individual silence on critical matters was complicity, that failure to question where it was obvious that other vested interests were being served over the interests of the farmers they represent was irresponsible is the source of anger and disgust in farmers at the present. They can set up as many committees as they like to look into implementation of some of the Lucy recommendations but as long as they are populated by those who the members consider let them down there will be no trust that they will not again put their own interests first.
We need fundamental change within the organisation. Many share the opinion that we just need to revert to what we were before, which was a voluntary body supported by reasonable expenses and a paid staff. Those who has political aspirations must shelve them whilst serving as IFA officers. Expenses must be vouched and we use the resources of the organisation wisely to procure the best people to advise and lobby on our behalf.
We need to re-establish that we have a very separate agenda to that of the Department of agriculture. We have become far too restricted to what is jointly seen as an achievable agenda. We need to fight each issue on its merits. We need to re-establish our right to a reasonable price for our produce. We need to become proactive again. We spend our whole time reacting to missives from all over the place each of which impacts severely on our ability to gain a fair price. We have to comply with more and more restrictive conditions in order to sell into markets where other suppliers have virtually none. All we are allowed is access to the market where what we are entitled to is a premium for a far higher quality product.
What the council members do not get is that they have been given time to demonstrate that they recognise what is wrong and to set about rectifying the mess. They have failed to do this and instead have persisted in denials of culpability. Therefore there is a building resentment that they, by persisting in carrying on as if they should do so by right, are actually impeding the process that is needed to save the organisation. New people are needed on council as quickly as possible. A new team has to bring us forward. It was the elected representatives who voted for the changes that allowed what happened occur. It was the elected representatives who failed to keep the General Secretary within reasonable remuneration bounds. It is the elected representatives who need to change or be changed. They have shown no real signs of change. Apart from a few platitudes and conditional apologies its business as usual. So this is why there is a growing call for them to be changed.

Comment on Dairygold board looking at fixed milk price scheme by David N Murphy

David N Murphy — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 18:19:12 +0000

That’s a volte face by Dairygold. Jim Woulfe 12 months ago made it clear at a public meeting organised by IFA and chaired by Tim O’Leary in Ballincollig that they would not be going this route.

Comment on North/south heifer price differential remains over 50c/kg by john haskell

john haskell — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 06:39:48 +0000

1. Take the price in the cheapest market
2. Multiply by two
3. You’re still below the price in the highest market? Who calls this a “single market”?

Comment on A forest the size of Sligo and Leitrim is needed to tackle Ireland’s global warming targets by Connor

Connor — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 11:32:44 +0000

In the words of James lovelock, you can plant a forest, but you can’t plant an ecosystem. More monoculture plantations is going to lead to more acidification. We need afforestation, but in the form of native species planted on public lands

Comment on Concerns over ABP-Slaney tie-up brought formally to Competition Authority by ultan cousins

ultan cousins — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:47:56 +0000

nobody has any problem with glanbia controlling over 30 per cent of the milk pool lot of two faces in the farm organisations.

Comment on ‘Milk solids production will decline with too high of a stocking rate on dairy farms’ by Nigel

Nigel — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 20:27:22 +0000

Surely what Patton is saying will all depend on the management on the farm. Why do solids have to decrease when stocking rates increased? And also what is the best way to counter act this? I’am currently working with a number of dairy farmers in the UK who are now starting to be paid for milk quality so are starting to breed cows for better solids but are also feeding for solids which is something Irish farmers are going to have to do in situations where they are highly stocked. Things to keep in mind are the chemical composition of the feed being supplement and the physical way of presenting it to the cow are very important. Remember that rumen function has a big influence on milk quality therefore supplementing high amounts in the parlour way not be wise as it may induce SARA. This is where well balance TMR can work quite well, with that said however I expect most Irish farmers would be against doing this even though it might be the best thing for them to do.

Comment on What could a new IFA look like? by Denito

Denito — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:30:54 +0000

TBH, I’m none the wiser after reading that article as to what exactly a “new IFA” would look like as there is no detail in the article as to what the writer believes should be the priorities for the organisation.

Comment on What could a new IFA look like? by Richard

Richard — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 14:07:34 +0000

Brian,
you’re making a lot of very good points. About 32 years ago , I started farming in Ireland. A few years later I joined the IFA and tried to get active at local level. Seeing the situation with the eyes of an outsider I started to carefully point out what I considered wrong or not okay. Locally I got no support (go home if you don’t like our ways of doing things) so I wrote to HQ. Unfortunately I did not keep the correspondence, but I remember total unwillingness to even enter into any conversation. Their arrogance put me off and I never paid up. Having followed their activities and machinations ever since I’m glad I’m not a member.

Comment on No major milk price rise until 2021 says EU outlook report by tom

tom — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 22:23:23 +0000

thats that

Comment on Opinion: ‘Better to have no farm organisation than to have an irresponsible one’ by abbie

abbie — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 20:57:31 +0000

what a pity farmers forgot your Grandfather’s wise words of advice.

Comment on Here’s why the climate change talks in Paris are important to every Irish farmer by Connor Barry

Connor Barry — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 20:56:12 +0000

“An Taisce recently said that the science is clear that “universalising” the “western” dietary mix is not remotely compatible either with global nutrition, global heath, or rapid climate change mitigation.

Should this view win support among the majority of decision makers it may not spell good news for Ireland’s beef and dairy industries which have placed significant hopes in boosting exports to developing countries.”

Is An Taisce’s point scientifically and logically correct or not? If it is not correct, what is the evidence for that? If it is correct, then why are we trying to spin words to make it sound like Irish Agriculture is doing its bit, when in fact it sounds like all we are doing is lining the pockets of large beef and dairy farmers, and to hell with the future for my children.

You can get 10 or 20% more efficient per kilo of beef or L of milk, but can we reduce our carbon footprint and increase Irish beef and dairy production? Never seen any evidence that we can. The world’s population does need to be fed – do they all need to be fed on high carbon beef and dairy? No they don’t.

Comment on Ex IFA President the latest to call for Executive Board resignations by Noel Helly

Noel Helly — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 18:46:30 +0000

Clean out and clean up fast

Comment on Poll:Have your say on the IFA pay scandal by john freehill

john freehill — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 18:59:18 +0000

the executive board off the ifa made up off 53 members should
be dibanded immediately.i have been a member up to yesterday
when i cancelled my membership.

Comment on Warning Graphic Pics: Dog attack on pedigree sheep flock costs farmer €3,500 by Lisbet

Lisbet — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 07:03:39 +0000

The dogs that did this must be found and euthanized, no ifs-ands-or-buts. Their owner/s should receive heavy fines on top of having to pay all damages, even if they have to sell their house and everything they own to pay. They should be banned from ever owning another dog, and that ban should be made public so they can be reported if they disregard the ban.

Comment on IFA crisis: Eddie Downey pay package is actually closer to €200,000 by tadhg

tadhg — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 20:18:57 +0000

why don,t the IFA as a good wiII Jesture to win back the trust of the farming community offer free membership to make up for the scandalous treatment they have dished out to honest hard working farmers that put their trust in them

Comment on Toast, roasted potatoes and crisps could now give you cancer by Mike

Mike — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 09:09:05 +0000

We will have to stop eating, oh wait, that will also kill us.

Comment on Farmers will find IFA pay revelations hard to stomach by chris

chris — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 20:47:22 +0000

why cant we find out all the higher levels salary packege? its because of us theyve a job so we should get to know

Comment on Belgian Blue shuts down M50 (no joke!) by Joe

Joe — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 19:42:16 +0000

Cow-moo-ting?

Comment on Glanbia to make its own plastic milk bottles for the first time by Mar_in_Eire

Mar_in_Eire — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 10:51:50 +0000

They will create 30 “new jobs” in Ballitore, but destroy 40 “old jobs” (factory workers plus lorry drivers) in Ballyconnell co. Cavan.

Comment on McGuinness says imported GM soya is required in Europe by Jochen Koester

Jochen Koester — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 17:25:43 +0000

It is unfortunate that Irish farmers only get to hear voices like that of MEP Mairead McGuinness. Reading your article on her statements make members of VLOG, the German Association Food without Genetic Engineering, shake their heads in disbelief and mumble something that sounds like “total rubbish”.
VLOG represents food manufacturers and retailers as well as sectors upstream and downstream to food production.
Founded in 2010, it advocates food production without GMOs, engages in consumer education and awards licences for the standardized seal “Ohne GenTechnik” (no genetic engineering) to be used on food products manufactured accordingly. The Association currently (October 2015) represents 304 members and licensees that are primarily from Germany and stand for combined annual sales of 153 billion euros.
We KNOW that soy continues to be necessary as a protein carrier for as long as major parts of the population haven’t become vegans. But our members have also demonstrated for many years that Non-GMO soybean meal is available from different parts of the world, that it meets strict legal requirements (max. 0.1 percent GMO content!) and that it is shipped to and distributed in Europe in millions of metric tons.
Is it possible that Ms. McGuiness has never been to the Continent? Or is Ireland once again a bridgehead to promote USDA interests in the EU? Either explanation would be saddening.
The vast majority of poultry production – fed GMO-free. German dairy production rapidly expanding its share of “Ohne GenTechnik” milk – the market leader with a 25-percent market share is just converting 200,000 tons of soybean meal to be Non-GMO. The four largest retailers – members of VLOG with two of them represented on the Board. Europe’s largest poultry producer feeds all-Non-GMO and labels his products “Ohne GenTechnik” – at the request of his retail clients.
German farmers are not stupid – and neither are their Irish colleagues. But politicians should not take them for fools, either.
VLOG’s website is mostly in German, but some information on the association is available in English.

Jochen Koester
Member of the Board, VLOG
Berlin / Geneva

Comment on There’s not much to gain from going down the GMO route – Sean Kelly MEP by Robert Wager

Robert Wager — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:40:46 +0000

The Late blight resistant GE potato is working thru regs in the US. I wonder how long it will take to get thru the EU regs?

Comment on Fianna Fail slams budget as no benefit to vast majority of farmers by Martin Heavey

Martin Heavey — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 17:08:14 +0000

rare breeds reference year endangering species for Glas exclusion,hedge planting lame duck excuse, coppicing hedges a ,having had 3 successive years audits in reps 4 ,these inspectors have so many rules to pick on ,how about a misprint on an amended reps plan 25% penalty from a vindictive inspector,beware readthe penalties that keep these so called inspectors in a job

Comment on How a farmer drilling a well created one of the most beautiful sites in the desert by Ian Johanson

Ian Johanson — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 17:38:18 +0000

I wish that I could make my own geyser by digging a well. Though I doubt that I would get one as pretty as fly geyser. It amazes me that there are any lifeforms, algae or otherwise, that can thrive at those types of temperatures. I am glad they do though because Fly Geyser is a sight to see.

Comment on TLT owners lose High Court battle against HSBC bank by Roly

Roly — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 18:55:12 +0000

Hhhmmm the Garavelli PR machine springs into action. Suggest everyone affected by this reads the judges comments re the directors evidence. It’s very damming. Very clear that the bank did everyone a favour and called time on something unsavoury once they had found out and called the directors bluff. No doubt in my mind that the losses would have been higher for everyone had they not done so. The bank lost the most after all. The directors could still pay off the bank and others affected if they really wanted to do so or if they really had the cash. Or maybe the cash that disappeared into Italy is still sitting somewhere. Who knows!!! Maybe the directors should disclose everything to everyone. The judge didn’t believe them.

Comment on Investigation to be launched into ongoing issues in IFA Pigs Committee by ultan cousins

ultan cousins — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:08:45 +0000

Thought the pigs commitee was the board of glanbia.please excuse my ignorance

Comment on Ireland set to import record levels of milk in 2015 by ultan cousins

ultan cousins — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:54:24 +0000

There is approx 150,000000 litres of milk being produced by wexford and other suppliers and is being processed by strathroy and sold back down here. Dont you dare call this imported milk. We’re being severly discriminated against down here by the NDC but at least Strathroy are increasing their sales at the expense of Glanbia. Happy to be supplying strathroy and not the other shower of bullying thugs that tried to rob us two years ago.

Comment on TLT owners lose High Court battle against HSBC bank by jj

jj — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 18:23:29 +0000

It is not just the garavelli’s that have lost out with this case, the irish farming section, and the ordinary business people of this country have lost out also. Irish farmers have lost out, because nobody has stepped in to fill the void left by this exporter, which means that the livestock has to stay in the country which is playing into the hands of the factories. Irish business has lost out in that with all the financial clout and influence the banks possess, you are on a hiding to nothing going up against them, as is evident by the evictions that are going to occur after the next elections, (be warned). What has the IFA or the government done to support the Garavelli’s, and get the exporting back on track, as usual nothing, all bureaucrat’s serving their own interests.
I note from your article that they had offered to repay the money in full, but this was turned down, that tell’s anybody with a brain that there was other vested interest involved.