Midland Farmer - July 2023
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MIDLAND<br />
FARMER<br />
JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
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2 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
‘People feel like they<br />
have no representation’<br />
Rural Ireland raises its concerns<br />
People from rural Ireland as well<br />
as from towns and cities across<br />
the country have voiced various<br />
concerns with the recently launched<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s’ Alliance.<br />
“Mainly farmers, but also people<br />
from other professional<br />
backgrounds including business<br />
people from both urban and<br />
rural Ireland have reached out<br />
to the group,” Helen O’Sullivan<br />
said.<br />
“Everyone the group has spoken<br />
to and everyone that has<br />
rang or made contact with its<br />
members all seem to be wanting<br />
the same thing – a new political<br />
party,” she added.<br />
Speaking to Agriland, the<br />
newly appointed spokesperson<br />
for the <strong>Farmer</strong>s’ Alliance said:<br />
“A lot of these people feel let<br />
down, that they have no representation<br />
at all.”<br />
“They just feel that there is no<br />
one working on their behalf,<br />
especially the farmers with the<br />
whole rewetting and rewilding<br />
thing at the moment.”<br />
“The issue of climate change<br />
seems to be “solely focused on<br />
farmers”, O’Sullivan, who said<br />
she knows what they are facing<br />
as a suckler farmer in west<br />
Cork.<br />
“We have a lot of farmers coming<br />
to us and they are concerned.<br />
They don’t know will it<br />
be there for their family to take<br />
over in a number of years’ time<br />
because of all those new laws<br />
coming in, all the red tape.<br />
“That’s a huge concern at the<br />
moment because they are worried,<br />
they have invested huge<br />
amounts of money into their<br />
farms, their own livelihood and<br />
that of their children.”<br />
“We all need food, everybody<br />
needs food. The population is<br />
growing. Where do they expect<br />
the food to come from?” the<br />
newly appointed spokesperson<br />
said.<br />
FARMERS’ ALLIANCE<br />
Over the past months <strong>Farmer</strong>s’<br />
Alliance has been collaborating<br />
with people, holding meetings<br />
nationwide with a view to forming<br />
a political party.<br />
“We don’t want to rush into<br />
anything because it has to be<br />
right. We want to take everyone’s<br />
ideas into consideration<br />
and everyone’s request,” she<br />
said.<br />
“There is a whole array of people<br />
there from all over the country<br />
both urban and rural so we<br />
want to make sure we have this<br />
right with more meetings lined<br />
up,” she added.<br />
Commenting that it is not just<br />
people in rural Ireland that are<br />
“fed up” and “want something<br />
new” with costs “soaring<br />
through the roof”.<br />
“I have people crying on the<br />
phone to me and they don’t<br />
know what they are going to do<br />
going forward because every<br />
week something has gone up in<br />
price. A lot of them are worried<br />
about having food on the table<br />
for their family.”<br />
The <strong>Farmer</strong>s’ Alliance aims to<br />
be a voice for both farmers and<br />
consumers and to address “problematic<br />
issues that may<br />
threaten” Ireland’s indigenous<br />
industry.<br />
The group has been in consultation<br />
with a number of TDs,<br />
businesses and interested parties<br />
and have received a very<br />
positive responses.<br />
How the climate change<br />
agenda will effect the agriculture<br />
industry will be of major<br />
interest for the group, which<br />
also hopes to “bridge the gap<br />
between urban and rural<br />
dwellers.<br />
“We are listening to people<br />
from all backgrounds everywhere.<br />
The best way going forward,<br />
which we know, is a<br />
political party,” the newly<br />
appointed spokesperson for the<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s’ Alliance said.<br />
Food and live animal exports worth €4.5bn<br />
The value of food and live animal<br />
exports reached €4.5 billion<br />
in the first four months of<br />
the year, according to the Central<br />
Statistics Office (CSO).<br />
This figure is up from the<br />
almost €4.1 billion of exports<br />
between January and April of<br />
2022.<br />
€1.5 billion worth of food<br />
and live animal exports were<br />
sent to other EU member<br />
states in the four months up to<br />
the end of April. €1.2 billion of<br />
exports went to Britain and<br />
€555 million worth of food and<br />
live animals were sent to<br />
Northern Ireland. The export<br />
value to the US stood at €270<br />
million, while it was €190 million<br />
to China and €723 million<br />
to the rest of the world.<br />
The CSO data shows that the<br />
value of imports of food and<br />
live animal in the first four<br />
months of the year stood at<br />
€3.2 billion, up from €2.8 billion<br />
in the same period in<br />
2022. Over €1 billion of the<br />
imports came from the EU27,<br />
€667 million from Britain and<br />
€447 million from Northern<br />
Ireland.<br />
€135 million worth of food<br />
and live animal imports came<br />
from the US, €35 million from<br />
China and €516 million from<br />
the rest of the world. The data<br />
also shows that the food and<br />
live animal exports were<br />
worth €757 million in April,<br />
up from €720 million in the<br />
same month in 2022.<br />
Commenting on the Goods<br />
Exports and Imports March<br />
<strong>2023</strong> data, Ciarán Counihan,<br />
statistician in the CSO International<br />
Trade in Goods Division<br />
said: “In April <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
Ireland’s unadjusted exports<br />
of goods decreased by €2.1 billion<br />
to €15.1 billion compared<br />
with April 2022. When seasonally<br />
adjusted, exports of goods<br />
fell by over €300 million compared<br />
with March <strong>2023</strong>.”<br />
“The unadjusted imports for<br />
April <strong>2023</strong> were valued at €11.4<br />
billion, an increase of €80 million<br />
on April 2022. Seasonally<br />
adjusted imports were €12.1<br />
billion in April <strong>2023</strong>.”<br />
“Comparing the first four<br />
months of <strong>2023</strong> with the same<br />
period in 2022, exports of<br />
goods were down 5%, and the<br />
value of imports increased by<br />
11%. Exports for the first four<br />
months of <strong>2023</strong> were almost<br />
€66 billion.<br />
“Imports from Great Britain<br />
fell by 9% to €1.9 billion in<br />
April <strong>2023</strong> compared with<br />
April 2022. Exports to Great<br />
Britain fell by 22% to €1.2 billion<br />
in April <strong>2023</strong> from April<br />
2022,” he said.<br />
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TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Factory prices described as<br />
‘devastating’ for beef farmers<br />
The Irish Cattle and<br />
Sheep <strong>Farmer</strong>s’ Association<br />
(ICSA) has<br />
described factory beef<br />
prices as having a<br />
“devastating effect at<br />
farm level”.<br />
ICSA Beef chair<br />
Edmund Graham has<br />
warned meat factories<br />
that their “continued<br />
assault” on<br />
beef prices is also<br />
causing immense<br />
frustration among<br />
farmers.<br />
“The situation with<br />
beef prices has<br />
reached a tipping<br />
point. Producing beef<br />
only to get hammered<br />
by the processors and<br />
come out making a<br />
loss is completely<br />
unsustainable,” Graham<br />
said.<br />
“The power the<br />
processors wield has<br />
never been more evident<br />
as they continue<br />
to offer prices that<br />
simply do not reflect<br />
the actual cost of production,”<br />
he added.<br />
The ICSA chair said<br />
that there doesn’t<br />
seem to be an<br />
acknowledgement of<br />
the challenges beef<br />
farmers have faced<br />
over the last year<br />
with the rising cost of<br />
inputs.<br />
“It has never been<br />
more costly to produce<br />
beef and the<br />
lack of any recognition<br />
of that fact has<br />
created a tinderbox<br />
situation out there,”<br />
he continued.<br />
Graham said factories<br />
must refrain<br />
from any further<br />
price cuts. “The<br />
recently published<br />
Teagasc National<br />
Farm Survey for 2022<br />
shows just how little<br />
the average beef<br />
farmer is making,” he<br />
said.<br />
He explained that<br />
Teagasc put the basic<br />
cost of production at<br />
€6/kg, even though<br />
farmers<br />
are<br />
“expected” to accept<br />
prices such as €5/kg.<br />
“Adding insult to<br />
injury is the fact that<br />
factories had encouraged<br />
farmers to feed<br />
cattle for May and<br />
June,” Graham said.<br />
“A tipping point has<br />
been reached; there is<br />
<strong>Midland</strong>s farm recognised for<br />
highest quality milk production<br />
literally no more they<br />
can take from farmers<br />
and still expect<br />
them to produce.”<br />
Agriland.ie recently<br />
reported that factory<br />
quotes for finished<br />
bullocks (steers) have<br />
fallen by over 35c/kg<br />
in the past 10 weeks<br />
and quotes for P-<br />
grade cows have<br />
fallen by as much as<br />
80c/kg in the same<br />
time period.<br />
However, while Irish<br />
beef prices have<br />
fallen substantially, a<br />
look at the Bord Bia<br />
beef market tracker<br />
shows the Irish composite<br />
price still<br />
remains above the<br />
export benchmark<br />
price. Last week,<br />
heifers were being<br />
quoted at prices ranging<br />
from €4.95-5.05/kg<br />
on the grid with some<br />
outlets opening<br />
quotes at €4.90/kg on<br />
the grid for heifers.<br />
Steers are being<br />
quoted at prices ranging<br />
from €4.90-5.00/kg<br />
on the grid with some<br />
outlets opening<br />
quotes at the lower<br />
rate of €4.85/kg.<br />
Shed-finished cattle<br />
supplies are being<br />
prioritised and are<br />
still filling a significant<br />
part of most<br />
processors’ weekly<br />
kill sheets. Over the<br />
coming few weeks,<br />
supplies of grass-finished<br />
cattle are<br />
expected to form the<br />
largest part of the<br />
weekly kills at most<br />
sites.<br />
Cow prices are<br />
falling across the<br />
board but there is<br />
variation of up to<br />
50c/kg in cow quotes<br />
between processors.<br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
EPA urges agri-food sector to<br />
sign new food waste charter<br />
The Environmental Protection<br />
Agency (EPA) has urged agri-food<br />
businesses across the country to<br />
sign up to its new food waste charter.<br />
Businesses signing up to the<br />
charter, which was officially<br />
launched last Thursday, June 29,<br />
voluntarily commit to measure<br />
their food waste, set targets and<br />
take action to reduce food waste,<br />
and to report annually on<br />
progress.<br />
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770,000t of food waste across primary<br />
production; manufacturing<br />
and processing; distribution and<br />
retail; restaurants and food services;<br />
and households.<br />
Households accounted for 31% of<br />
the food waste produced, followed<br />
by the manufacturing and processing<br />
sector with 29%.<br />
Ireland has committed to reducing<br />
food waste by 50% by the end of<br />
this decade, in line with the United<br />
Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development<br />
Goals.<br />
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4 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s advised<br />
to find out quality<br />
status of local rivers<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s to get satellite<br />
inspection notifications<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s have been<br />
advised by Teagasc to<br />
find out the water<br />
quality status of their<br />
local rivers to mitigate<br />
phosphorus, sediment<br />
and nitrogen<br />
losses to waters.<br />
By finding out the<br />
water quality of<br />
rivers, Teagasc<br />
advised that farmers<br />
would then be able to<br />
“select the right measure<br />
in the right<br />
place” for mitigation.<br />
It recommended the<br />
use of pollution<br />
impact potential (PIP)<br />
maps to identify the<br />
critical source areas<br />
(CSAs) for mineral<br />
losses and to highlight<br />
the overland<br />
flow pathways.<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s have been<br />
advised to ensure<br />
slurry, soiled water,<br />
dairy washings,<br />
silage effluent and<br />
farmyard manure collection,<br />
and storage<br />
facilities meet regulatory<br />
requirements.<br />
Contractors are<br />
advised to be made<br />
aware of the locations<br />
of CSAs, watercourses,<br />
drains, etc.,<br />
on farms, and ensure<br />
appropriate buffers<br />
are kept when spreading<br />
organic manures<br />
or spraying pesticides.<br />
Adherence to best<br />
practice when dipping<br />
sheep, to minimise<br />
the risk of dip<br />
entering the river<br />
drainage network,<br />
was also suggested.<br />
The Department of Agriculture,<br />
Food and the<br />
Marine (DAFM) has<br />
announced that it will be<br />
sending notifications to<br />
around 4,750 farmers arising<br />
from satellite farm<br />
inspections.<br />
The Area Monitoring<br />
System (AMS) is mandatory<br />
across all EU member<br />
states since January 1,<br />
this year, as part of the<br />
new Common Agricultural<br />
Policy (CAP) to monitor<br />
compliance with farm<br />
scheme criteria.<br />
This year, the department<br />
will be using AMS<br />
satellite systems for the<br />
Basic Income Support for<br />
Sustainability (BISS);<br />
Areas of Natural Constraint<br />
(ANC); Protein Aid<br />
Scheme (PAS) and Straw<br />
Incorporation Measure<br />
(SIM). AMS findings may<br />
impact payments for other<br />
area-based schemes such<br />
as the Eco-Scheme and the<br />
Complementary Income<br />
Support for Young <strong>Farmer</strong>s<br />
(CIS-YF).<br />
The first round of AMS<br />
notifications began issuing<br />
to scheme applicants<br />
from Monday, June 26.<br />
These notifications relate<br />
to the potential presence<br />
of artificial surfaces such<br />
as buildings, farmyard<br />
extensions and farm roadways,<br />
in land parcels.<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s and their authorised<br />
advisor will be notified<br />
where the AMS<br />
categorises a land parcel<br />
as ‘red’ through agfood.ie.<br />
Where an applicant is<br />
signed up for text message<br />
alerts, a text will issue to<br />
advise them that they have<br />
a notification on their<br />
BISS account.<br />
Only applicants with<br />
“red parcels” will receive a<br />
notification, the department<br />
said. <strong>Farmer</strong>s will be<br />
asked to respond within<br />
two weeks of the notification<br />
being received. Applicants<br />
with an AMS<br />
notification have the<br />
option to withdraw, partially<br />
withdraw or amend<br />
their scheme application<br />
up to October 2, <strong>2023</strong>, without<br />
incurring a penalty.<br />
“DAFM’s advice to farmers<br />
is to engage with the<br />
department either themselves<br />
through Agfood or<br />
through their advisor if in<br />
receipt of an AMS notification<br />
of a potential<br />
error.”<br />
“DAFM intends to hold a<br />
number of farmer clinics<br />
around the country from<br />
the middle of August to<br />
help farmers who receive<br />
AMS notifications.<br />
“These clinics will be<br />
advertised well in<br />
advance,” a department<br />
spokesperson said.<br />
“Further notifications<br />
from DAFM will issue to<br />
applicants in mid-August<br />
and mid-September with a<br />
deadline for reply of October<br />
2, <strong>2023</strong>.”<br />
“These notifications will<br />
be for potential differences<br />
in crop categories, ineligible<br />
land uses and further<br />
potential artificial surfaces,”<br />
they added.<br />
The numbers of farmers<br />
to be notified for potential<br />
differences in crop categories,<br />
ineligible land<br />
uses, and further potential<br />
artificial surfaces will not<br />
be known until later in the<br />
year.<br />
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TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
EU Commission proposes €9.5m<br />
support package for Irish farmers<br />
The European Commission has<br />
proposed to allocate over €9.5<br />
million to Irish farmers.<br />
It is part of a support package<br />
worth €330 million for 22 EU<br />
member states to help farmers<br />
impacted by adverse climate<br />
events, high input costs and market<br />
and trade-related issues.<br />
Ireland will be among the<br />
member states to benefit from<br />
this exceptional support from<br />
the Common Agricultural Policy<br />
(CAP). The commission said that<br />
countries may complement this<br />
EU support up to 200% with<br />
national funds.<br />
The measure will be voted by<br />
member states at the next meeting<br />
of the EU committee for the<br />
common organisation of agricultural<br />
markets.<br />
If approved, national governments<br />
will distribute this EU aid<br />
directly to farmers to compensate<br />
them for financial losses<br />
caused by market disturbances,<br />
high input prices and “rapidly<br />
falling agricultural product<br />
prices”.<br />
The funding can also be used to<br />
help farmers whose lands were<br />
damaged by recent climate<br />
events, such as extreme flooding<br />
in Italy and drought in Spain.<br />
The EU has also approved a<br />
separate €100 million support<br />
package for farmers in Bulgaria,<br />
Hungary, Poland, Romania and<br />
Slovakia, which was proposed in<br />
early May. This followed concerns<br />
by the countries about the<br />
impact of produce from Ukraine<br />
on domestic markets.<br />
“<strong>Farmer</strong>s from these five member<br />
states are facing issues<br />
related to logistical bottlenecks<br />
following large imports of certain<br />
agri-food products from<br />
Ukraine,” the Commission said.<br />
“Exceptional and temporary<br />
preventive measures on imports<br />
of a limited number of products<br />
from Ukraine entered into force<br />
on May 2, and will be phased out<br />
by September 15, <strong>2023</strong>.”<br />
The EU Commission said that<br />
payments for both support packages<br />
should be made to farmers<br />
by December 31, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Member states will have to<br />
notify the commission of how<br />
the funds are to be allocated.<br />
In addition to this direct financial<br />
support, the commission is<br />
proposing to allow higher<br />
advance payments of CAP<br />
funds.<br />
Up to 70% of direct payments<br />
and 85% of rural development<br />
payments related to area and<br />
animals and could be available<br />
to farmers as of mid-October to<br />
improve their cashflow situation.<br />
It is proposed that member<br />
states could amend their CAP<br />
Strategic Plans to redirect CAP<br />
funds towards investments to reestablish<br />
production in the wake<br />
European Agriculture Commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski<br />
of adverse climate events.<br />
EU Commissioner for Agriculture,<br />
Janusz Wojciechowski said<br />
that farmers are among the first<br />
to be impacted by the climate,<br />
economic and geopolitical<br />
crises.<br />
“Despite the liquidity issues<br />
and difficulties faced, particularly<br />
acute in certain sectors and<br />
member states, EU agricultural<br />
producers keep working every<br />
day to provide safe and quality<br />
food products.<br />
“They deserve our support and<br />
our recognition. Today, the European<br />
Commission is again stepping<br />
up its financial aid to<br />
support EU farmers from all<br />
around the EU. National funds<br />
can also complement this support,”<br />
he said.<br />
The European Commission<br />
already adopted a €500 million<br />
support package for farmers in<br />
March 2022.<br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
5<br />
Cattle<br />
slaughterings<br />
down by<br />
nearly 4%<br />
compared to<br />
2022<br />
The number of cattle<br />
slaughtered in the<br />
first five months of<br />
this year is down by<br />
3.9% compared to the<br />
same period in 2022,<br />
according to the Central<br />
Statistics Office<br />
(CSO).<br />
Figures released last<br />
week show that<br />
between January and<br />
May, sheep slaughterings<br />
increased by<br />
3.6% on the same<br />
period in 2022.<br />
The number of pigs<br />
slaughtered fell by<br />
10.8% when compared<br />
with the same five<br />
months in 2022. When<br />
the data for May <strong>2023</strong><br />
is compared with May<br />
2022, cattle slaughterings<br />
contracted by<br />
2,600 head or 1.7% to<br />
just over 152,000.<br />
The number of<br />
sheep slaughtered<br />
rose by 12,373 (5.2%)<br />
to nearly 249,000 in<br />
May <strong>2023</strong> compared to<br />
the same month last<br />
year, while pig slaughterings<br />
dropped by<br />
10.1% in the year to<br />
288,192.<br />
www.johndixonplanthire.ie<br />
JOHN DIXON PLANT HIRE<br />
087 813 1099 / 087 416 1181<br />
Sarsfieldstown, Killucan, Co Westmeath<br />
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Hedgecutting flailing/ sawing and track<br />
machines supplied with mulcher head<br />
Precision chop cut pit silage with various<br />
chop lengths to suit customer requirements<br />
Fusion Baling<br />
Dung spreading
6 MIDLAND FARMER<br />
TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Potato prices double in 12 months<br />
Irish potato prices have doubled<br />
over the past 12 months, according<br />
to a Dublin-based fresh produce<br />
supplier.<br />
Justin Leonard is the owner of a<br />
fresh fruit and vegetable supply<br />
business, working with catering<br />
outlets throughout the Leinster<br />
region.<br />
He explained: “Last summer’s<br />
drought created a major shortage<br />
in potato supplies right across<br />
Europe.<br />
“Here in Ireland potato growers<br />
had also come under pressure on<br />
the back of fast rising fertiliser<br />
and energy costs.<br />
“The electricity costs associated<br />
with the climate-controlled storage<br />
of potatoes represent a significant<br />
component of the budgets<br />
required to produce ware potatoes<br />
in any normal year.”<br />
“But, obviously, these figures<br />
increased dramatically during the<br />
2022/<strong>2023</strong> season. This was a direct<br />
result of the increased energy<br />
costs impacting on the Irish economy<br />
as a whole,” he added.<br />
February of this year saw an<br />
opportunity for Irish growers to<br />
service the market for potatoes in<br />
Portugal and across southern<br />
Europe.<br />
“Obviously, growers took the<br />
opportunity that was presented to<br />
them,” Leonard stressed.<br />
“But the end result was a critical<br />
shortage of potatoes for the Irish<br />
market. Currently, potatoes cannot<br />
be sourced from any region of<br />
Europe. Last year’s crop has now<br />
been fully utilised. The end result<br />
has been a doubling of potato<br />
prices, year-on-year.”<br />
“The <strong>2023</strong> planting season across<br />
mainland Europe was very badly<br />
affected by floods and extremes of<br />
weather during the months of<br />
March and April,” Leonard continued.<br />
“And poor weather also played<br />
its part here in disrupting the<br />
plans of Irish potato growers. The<br />
very wet weather of March and<br />
April meant that farmers could<br />
not get main crops planted out<br />
until the end of May.”<br />
In a normal year, it is expected<br />
that Irish ware potato crops will<br />
be in full leaf by the summer solstice.<br />
“This will not happen in <strong>2023</strong>,”<br />
Leonard confirmed.<br />
“As a result, there is a strong<br />
likelihood of <strong>2023</strong> potato yields<br />
being well back on normal levels.<br />
The potato sector is facing up to a<br />
real crisis at the present time. The<br />
poor weather earlier in the year is<br />
responsible for the fact that very<br />
few earlies have been lifted up to<br />
this point.<br />
“Europe is probably looking at a<br />
second, successive year of reduced<br />
potato supplies.”<br />
Leonard said that he expects the<br />
potato price in shops and supermarkets<br />
to rise as a result.<br />
“But at a certain point consumers<br />
will switch away from<br />
potatoes and start looking at pasta<br />
and rice as alternatives,” he said.<br />
“This is the last thing we need,<br />
given the tremendous work that<br />
has been put in by many organisations<br />
over the last number of<br />
years in profiling the nutritional<br />
benefits of Irish potatoes.”<br />
Irish potato prices have doubled over the past 12 months, according to fresh produce merchant, Justin Leonard<br />
Dublin Road, Granard, Co. Longford N39 DD30<br />
Email: info@makool.ie<br />
T: 043 668 6342 | 087 429 5619<br />
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David Nulty: 087 336 5008<br />
E: sales@marronfarmservices.ie<br />
Co. Monaghan & Co. Westmeath<br />
● Cloghan, Mullingar<br />
Co. Westmeath<br />
N91R24D<br />
Tel: + 353 44 9331687<br />
+ 353 85 8556404<br />
E: marco.bertolo@alltrepairs.com
TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Ireland yet to make final decision<br />
on reusing treated wastewater<br />
Ireland has yet to make a<br />
final decision on whether to<br />
allow the reuse of treated<br />
wastewater for irrigation in<br />
the country as the EU has<br />
introduced a new regulation<br />
on the matter.<br />
New standards for the safe<br />
reuse of treated wastewater<br />
in agricultural irrigation are<br />
entering into force across<br />
most of the EU, with the regulation<br />
seeking to encourage<br />
the sustainable use of water.<br />
The water reuse regulation<br />
sets common minimum water<br />
quality requirements for the<br />
safe reuse of treated urban<br />
wastewater in agricultural<br />
irrigation.<br />
The new rules will help<br />
farmers gain access to more<br />
sources of clean water for<br />
irrigation, considered essential<br />
as a result of recurrent<br />
droughts, and to increase<br />
transparency.<br />
Commissioner for the Environment,<br />
Oceans and Fisheries,<br />
Virginius Sinkevicius,<br />
said: “Water is a precious<br />
resource that is becoming<br />
more and more scarce.”<br />
“Just as we are increasingly<br />
reusing other materials and<br />
rare commodities, urban<br />
wastewater can be successfully<br />
treated with the available<br />
technologies. That opens<br />
many possibilities for farmers<br />
who can use such<br />
reclaimed water safely for<br />
irrigation.”<br />
“With these new standards,<br />
consumers and farmers can<br />
be confident in the quality<br />
and safety of agricultural<br />
produce irrigated with<br />
reclaimed water,” he said.<br />
The EU has said: “The rules<br />
of the regulation will apply in<br />
all member states except<br />
those that have decided to<br />
make use of a regulatory optout<br />
clause.”<br />
Water reuse is commonly<br />
and successfully practised in<br />
several EU member states,<br />
including: Cyprus; France;<br />
Greece; Italy; Malta; Portugal;<br />
Spain, as seen in the map.<br />
Some member states, where<br />
freshwater resources are<br />
abundant and irrigation<br />
demand is low, have planned<br />
not to allow water reuse for<br />
irrigation in their countries,<br />
such as Finland, Poland, Austria<br />
and Croatia.<br />
Some member states have<br />
not yet made a final decision,<br />
as resource and infrastructure<br />
costs are still being evaluated,<br />
such as Ireland and<br />
Denmark. While water reuse<br />
is already successfully used<br />
in some member states, only<br />
2.4 % of the total treated<br />
urban wastewater is being<br />
reused in the EU.<br />
Some member states reuse<br />
as much as 89% of treated<br />
wastewater, while most use<br />
very little or none at all.<br />
The map illustrates where in the EU-27 it is allowed to practice water reuse for agricultural irrigation<br />
(June <strong>2023</strong>), based on whether member states plan to invoke Article 2 (2) of the water reuse<br />
regulation. Source: Water.Europa.eu<br />
Water reuse is allowed<br />
Water reuse is generally allowed<br />
Water reuse is not allowed<br />
Final decision is not available<br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
7<br />
Calf<br />
registrations<br />
surpass two<br />
million for<br />
<strong>2023</strong><br />
The total number of<br />
calf registrations on<br />
Irish farms has surpassed<br />
two million for<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, based on Irish<br />
Cattle Breeding Federation<br />
(ICBF) data.<br />
Based on the data, a<br />
total of 2,023,550<br />
calves have been registered<br />
on Irish farms<br />
for the year to date.<br />
This is slightly<br />
behind the same<br />
period for 2022, when<br />
at this stage 2,042,476<br />
calves had been registered.<br />
The one-million<br />
mark for registrations<br />
was achieved in<br />
March, with the data<br />
very much showing<br />
that a spring-calving<br />
system is operated by<br />
the majority of farmers.<br />
A total of 2,409,981<br />
calves were registered<br />
on Irish farms in 2022,<br />
meaning that from<br />
<strong>July</strong> onwards, only<br />
around 350,000 calves<br />
were born on farms.<br />
For the week ending<br />
June 23, <strong>2023</strong>, based<br />
on the ICBF data, a<br />
total of 21,605 calves<br />
were registered on<br />
Irish farms.<br />
Ballyheashill, Rhode, Co. Offaly, R35 HC97 • Phone: 046 973 7000<br />
www.swainagri.ie
8 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
Mullingar Agricultural Show<br />
Mullingar Agricultural Show on 9 <strong>July</strong> will be best show ever<br />
It’s all systems go for<br />
the <strong>2023</strong> Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show as<br />
this year the show is set<br />
to be better than ever.<br />
The Mullingar Show -<br />
grounds at Culleen is in<br />
the process of being<br />
transformed for Sun -<br />
day, 9 <strong>July</strong>, to welcome<br />
and accommodate all<br />
visitors, show-stands,<br />
competition arenas,<br />
concert spots and much<br />
more to the 199th<br />
Mullingar Agricultural<br />
Show.<br />
“There’s a great buzz<br />
and great enthusiasm<br />
on now and everyone I<br />
speak to is looking<br />
forward to the show<br />
this year” Chairperson<br />
of the Show, Christoper<br />
Dolan told Topic last<br />
week.<br />
Best wishes for a great show from<br />
SAW REPAIR, SALES &<br />
SHARPENING SERVICE<br />
Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show<br />
Celebrating the best<br />
in Farming, Rural<br />
Interests and<br />
Country Living<br />
On Sunday 9 th <strong>July</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
at the Showgrounds, Culleen<br />
Mullingar, Co. Westmeath<br />
Official opening by Minister for Agriculture,<br />
Charlie McConalogue<br />
Admission: Adults €15, Students and<br />
OAP’s €10, Children under 10 FREE of charge<br />
• Pedigree and Commercial Cattle<br />
and Sheep Showing<br />
• €2,000 Beef to the Heel Competition<br />
• All Ireland Belclare Sheep Competition<br />
• All Ireland Valais Blacknose Sheep Comp<br />
• Horse and Pony Show - Show Jumping<br />
on grass<br />
• Donkey Classes<br />
• Trade Stands - Outdoor and Indoor<br />
• Classes in Arts, Crafts, Cookery,<br />
Photography, etc.<br />
• Most appropriately dressed couple<br />
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT<br />
• Sheep Shearing<br />
• Declan Nerney 3-5 pm<br />
• Line Dancing<br />
• Fashion Show<br />
PLUS LOTS MORE FUN ON THE DAY<br />
“This will be the 199th<br />
show for us - next year<br />
is a big one, but we’re<br />
confident with the<br />
added attractions this<br />
year for younger<br />
children and some of<br />
the new classes we’ve<br />
introduced, this year<br />
will be a great success”.<br />
Chris went on to point<br />
out “We’re busy with<br />
getting the showgrounds<br />
ready thesedays.<br />
We’re out there<br />
most evenings cleaning<br />
up and ensuring all the<br />
arenas and the like are<br />
ready for showtime.<br />
Best wishes for a great show from<br />
• Welding Supplies<br />
• Mobile Welders / Generator Sales<br />
• Compressors<br />
• Belts • Bearings<br />
• Pulleys Seals<br />
• Chains etc.<br />
• Hand Tools<br />
• Power Tools<br />
• Safety Gear<br />
We’re also receiving<br />
quite a few entries for<br />
the various categories<br />
and that’s very positive<br />
as it shows there is<br />
good interest in the<br />
show this year again”.<br />
HISTORY OF THE<br />
MULLINGAR SHOW<br />
For almost 200 years<br />
the Mullingar Agri -<br />
cultural Show has<br />
supported agriculture<br />
and industry in West -<br />
meath and through out<br />
the Mid lands. Mull -<br />
ingar Show is run by<br />
the Committee of the<br />
Wishing<br />
Mullingar Agri<br />
Show every<br />
success as always<br />
& looking forward<br />
to a great day out<br />
on 9th <strong>July</strong>!<br />
+353 44 93 48855<br />
irishhereford@gmail.com<br />
Kender Bearings, Zone C, Mullingar Bus. Pk., Mullingar<br />
Tel: (044) 9341325 • www.kenderbt.ie • info@kenderbt.ie<br />
Best wishes to the<br />
MULLINGAR SHOW<br />
from<br />
Tom<br />
Birmingham<br />
MENSWEAR<br />
Westmeath Show So -<br />
ciety Limited. The<br />
Show is a major date in<br />
the diary of many<br />
show-goers and attracts<br />
entries from across<br />
Ireland.<br />
WHAT TO EXPECT<br />
FROM THE SHOW<br />
THIS YEAR<br />
The Mullingar Agri -<br />
cultural Show has a<br />
long history of<br />
bringing people to -<br />
gether, holding a very<br />
special place in the<br />
hearts of many locals.<br />
You need not be a<br />
farmer to go along and<br />
enjoy this great day out<br />
- it’s open to everyone<br />
and it’s a great way to<br />
spend a few hours, just<br />
a five minute drive<br />
from town on the<br />
Castlepollard road.<br />
The <strong>2023</strong> Show on<br />
Sunday, 9 <strong>July</strong><br />
promises to be an<br />
unmissable event.<br />
There is plenty of<br />
competitive cat egories<br />
for those exhibiting in<br />
the agricultural, horti -<br />
culture, equestrian,<br />
poultry, cookery and<br />
dog show, as well as<br />
those looking to grab a<br />
bargain or two at the<br />
many stalls, not to<br />
mention those who<br />
want to shake a leg or<br />
two and have a dance to<br />
the great music of<br />
Declan Nerney and Ray<br />
Dolan.<br />
Declan will entertain<br />
crowds during the day<br />
on the main stage from<br />
around 3pm while Ray<br />
plays in the bar area as<br />
the show comes to a<br />
close.<br />
This year will see all<br />
the regular classes on<br />
offer, reflecting the<br />
traditional agricultural<br />
strengths of West -<br />
meath in pedigree and<br />
commercial cattle and<br />
sheep showing. Horse<br />
and pony showing are<br />
traditionally very<br />
strong at the Mullingar<br />
Show, with the large<br />
entry in show-jumping<br />
continuing an old<br />
tradition of excellence.<br />
There is an extra class<br />
in the Horse Section for<br />
this year; “Class 56a -<br />
Open Ridden Trad -<br />
Best wishes to Mullingar Agricultural Show<br />
Mullingar Equine Vets Ltd.<br />
Michael O’ Donoghue MVB MRCVS<br />
Padraig O’Reilly MVB<br />
& Associates<br />
EQUINE PRACTICE<br />
1A Brosna Bus. Pk., Lynn Road, Mullingar<br />
T: 044 934 8142 • E: info@mevets.ie<br />
itional Cob, any height,<br />
4 years old and over”.<br />
There are also nine<br />
All-Ireland classes for<br />
pedigree registered<br />
Valais Blacknose Sheep<br />
at Ireland’s biggest<br />
ever show of Valais<br />
Blacknose at Mullingar<br />
Show.<br />
There are classes for<br />
poultry, horticulture,<br />
cookery, preserves,<br />
arts, crafts, hand -<br />
writing and photog -<br />
raphy all taking place<br />
in the indoors stands. A<br />
vibrant dog show is<br />
always a great<br />
attraction and this year<br />
will be no different.<br />
Entries to the dog show<br />
taken on the day.<br />
Anyone wishing to<br />
enter for any<br />
competition should<br />
have their entries in as<br />
soon as possible. Check<br />
out the website on<br />
https://www.mullingar<br />
agrishow.com/contact<br />
or the Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show<br />
Facebook page for all<br />
the details.<br />
There are a variety of<br />
They're big pets really - never mind the horns - at the 2022<br />
Mullingar Agricultural Show. Back at the show in <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
events happening for<br />
the younger children,<br />
with face-painting,<br />
games, and other toy<br />
attractions at the show<br />
on the day. You can be<br />
sure there will be<br />
something for all ages<br />
at the <strong>2023</strong> Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show.<br />
GREAT SHOW-<br />
GROUNDS AND<br />
FACILITIES<br />
Unlike many other<br />
agricultural shows<br />
around the country, the<br />
Mullingar Agricultural<br />
Show has a great<br />
facility at the<br />
Westmeath Show So -<br />
ciety (Mullingar)<br />
Showgrounds, Culleen.<br />
The society own the<br />
show grounds, which is<br />
in operational use<br />
throughout the year for<br />
various other events<br />
and activities. The<br />
show-ground area has<br />
great parking loca tions,<br />
sheds and gravel<br />
pathways throughout,<br />
as well as toilet<br />
facilities and plenty of<br />
mature trees to add<br />
shelter from the hot<br />
sun or the occasional<br />
shower of rain.<br />
SINCERE THANKS TO<br />
OUR SPONSORS<br />
“We couldn’t do all<br />
this without our<br />
sponsors and we’re<br />
very grateful to them<br />
and indeed to the hard<br />
working committee<br />
members. There’s a lot<br />
of preparation for this<br />
one day show but we’re<br />
committed to ensuring<br />
we have everything just<br />
right so that everyone<br />
can enjoy the day and<br />
so they leave, looking<br />
forward to returning<br />
for our 200th show in<br />
2024” the Chairperson,<br />
Chris Dolan concluded,<br />
adding a final word that<br />
‘sponsorship is always<br />
welcome anytime for<br />
the Mullingar Agricul -<br />
tural Show - it’s a good<br />
investment for com -<br />
panies as they get great<br />
exposure to thousands<br />
of show visitors”.<br />
MULLINGAR BUSINESS PARK, MULLINGAR<br />
Tel: 044 9343557<br />
Tyres Sales & Repair • Wheel Balancing<br />
Wheel/Lights Alignment • Oil/Bulb Change<br />
Breaks - Exhausts - Shocks Alloy Rim Repairs<br />
Servicing • 24HR Breakdown Service<br />
Best wishes for a great Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show
TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
9<br />
Additional funding - just in time for<br />
the Mullingar Agricultural Show<br />
On Thursday, 22<br />
June, Minister for<br />
Rural and Community<br />
Development,<br />
Heather Humphreys<br />
TD announced funding<br />
of one million<br />
euro to support 122<br />
Agricultural Shows<br />
right across the<br />
country. From this<br />
generous funding,<br />
the <strong>2023</strong> Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show is<br />
set to receive €9,205,<br />
which will greatly<br />
support the show<br />
committee staging<br />
the event on Sunday,<br />
9 <strong>July</strong> at the<br />
Mullingar Showgrounds,<br />
Culleen,<br />
Mullingar, N91HXH0.<br />
Announcing the<br />
funding, Minister<br />
Humphreys said: “I’m<br />
delighted today to<br />
announce a record one<br />
million euro in funding<br />
to support 122<br />
Agricultural Shows<br />
the length and breadth<br />
of the country.<br />
“Our Agricultural<br />
Shows sum up all that<br />
is good about rural<br />
Ireland. They are<br />
intrinsically linked to<br />
that sense of community<br />
that our rural<br />
towns and villages are<br />
known for.<br />
“The shows are key<br />
dates in the summer<br />
calendar and are a<br />
central point for the<br />
agri-food industry, the<br />
farming community<br />
and our local artisan<br />
producers.<br />
“These shows are<br />
also a fantastic family<br />
day out, where people<br />
come to catch up and<br />
enjoy a truly unique<br />
experience.”<br />
“With entries travelling<br />
from far and wide<br />
to compete, the local<br />
show has something to<br />
interest everyone<br />
through its wide<br />
range of activities and<br />
competitions.”<br />
“I am delighted to<br />
increase the overall<br />
level of funding by 40<br />
per cent this year,<br />
which I know will<br />
really help the organisers<br />
in ensuring the<br />
shows themselves are<br />
a great success.”<br />
“I want to thank and<br />
pay tribute to the Irish<br />
Shows Association,<br />
who I was delighted to<br />
meet in recent weeks<br />
to discuss their plans<br />
for the upcoming summer<br />
season.”<br />
VERY WELCOME<br />
FUNDING FOR<br />
MULLINGAR SHOW<br />
Speaking with Topic<br />
on Thursday, 22 June,<br />
shortly after the funding<br />
announcement<br />
was made, Mullingar<br />
Show Chairperson<br />
Chris Dolan said<br />
Mullingar Agricultural Show<br />
Minister Humphreys announces a record €1 million to support<br />
Agricultural Shows throughout Ireland, with Mullingar<br />
Agricultural Show set to receive €9,205. Minister Humphreys is<br />
pictured with the ISA’s Jim Harrison (Secretary) and Raymond<br />
Brady (President).<br />
“This is great news.<br />
We’re absolutely<br />
delighted to hear this<br />
at this crucial time of<br />
organising the show.<br />
We have plenty of<br />
bills to be paid for all<br />
sorts of services that<br />
we need to set the<br />
show up and this<br />
amount will take care<br />
of quite a few of those<br />
bills, as we welcome<br />
more sponsors to<br />
come on board and<br />
contribute. The funds<br />
are badly needed and<br />
will be gratefully<br />
received, as is all<br />
sponsorship”.<br />
FUNDING BREAK UP<br />
FOR WESTMEATH,<br />
MEATH AND OFFALY<br />
The total awarded to<br />
Westmeath in this<br />
year’s round of funding<br />
for these shows is<br />
€34,315.<br />
Other shows in the<br />
Best wishes to the Mullingar Show from<br />
James Geoghegan<br />
Agricultural Contractor<br />
Tyrrellspass<br />
For all your wagon silage, re-seeding<br />
and slurry spreading requirements.<br />
Fencing Supplies<br />
Hedge Cutting with track machine<br />
Plant Hire<br />
<strong>Midland</strong>s to receive<br />
grants are the Athlone<br />
Agricultural Show<br />
which will receive<br />
€9,205, <strong>Midland</strong>s Connemara<br />
Pony Breeders<br />
Annual Show will<br />
receive €6,700, the<br />
Moate Agricultural<br />
Show will receive<br />
€9,205, the Tullamore<br />
Show & FBD National<br />
Livestock Show will<br />
receive €11,400, the<br />
Ballivor Horse Show<br />
will receive €8,525, the<br />
Nobber Show will<br />
receive €9,205, the<br />
North-East Conne -<br />
mara Breeders Show<br />
will receive €8,525, the<br />
Oldcastle Agricultural<br />
Show will<br />
receive €8,525, the<br />
Rolestown Show (Tattersalls)<br />
will receive<br />
€8,525 and the Royal<br />
Meath Show will<br />
receive €9,205.<br />
We are the<br />
Champions!<br />
Mullingar Agricultural Show win first<br />
place at the Mullingar St Patrick’s Day<br />
Parade <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The Mullingar Agricultural Show team<br />
proudly picked up the winning trophy for<br />
first place in the <strong>2023</strong> Mullingar St<br />
Patrick’s Day Parade. The committee<br />
turned up in force to receive their<br />
presentation at the Market House in April,<br />
with Mullingar Show Chairperson Chris<br />
Dolan receiving the first place award from<br />
Aisling Coleman, Co-Event Controller,<br />
Mullingar St Patrick’s Day Committee. Also<br />
in the picture (fourth from right) is<br />
Mullingar Show President, Joe Dolan.<br />
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Contact James Geoghegan<br />
086 261 6018
10 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
World Meat Congress<br />
set for October<br />
DAFM carried out almost<br />
9.6 million TB tests in 2022<br />
The World Meat Congress<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, a global<br />
meeting of representatives<br />
from the meat<br />
industry and related<br />
sectors, will take place<br />
in the Netherlands in<br />
October, its organisers<br />
have announced.<br />
The International<br />
Meat Secretariat<br />
(IMS) and the Dutch<br />
Meat Industry Association<br />
(COV) have<br />
announced that the<br />
event will take place<br />
from October 11 to 13,<br />
in the city of Maastricht.<br />
It is expected that<br />
several hundred people<br />
from the global<br />
meat industry will<br />
attend, along with representatives<br />
of other<br />
sectors. The theme of<br />
this year’s congress is<br />
‘Meeting Society and<br />
Consumer’.<br />
According to the<br />
organisers, key topics<br />
on the agenda include<br />
the role of meat in the<br />
“global climate ambition”,<br />
society’s expectations<br />
on animal<br />
welfare, the labour<br />
market, and the<br />
impact of geopolitical<br />
developments on meat<br />
trade and production.<br />
The event will hear<br />
from speakers on<br />
these issues from the<br />
academic world, international<br />
organisations,<br />
and represent -<br />
atives of the meat<br />
value chain.<br />
The organisers also<br />
said that the congress<br />
is attractive for stakeholders<br />
not directly<br />
working in the international<br />
meat business,<br />
such as<br />
representatives of<br />
government, trade<br />
organisations, retailers,<br />
and non-governmental<br />
organisations<br />
(NGOs).<br />
This will be the first<br />
World Meat Congress<br />
in five years. The<br />
organisers say that<br />
their focus is on challenges<br />
facing the<br />
industry and to help<br />
meat industry professionals<br />
understand<br />
the current and the<br />
future expectations of<br />
consumers as well as<br />
society.<br />
The opening address<br />
of the event will be<br />
‘Healthiness of Meat<br />
in our Contemporary<br />
Diets’, and will be<br />
delivered by Dr. Luc<br />
van Loon, professor of<br />
the Physiology of<br />
Exercise at the<br />
Department of Hum -<br />
an Biology and Movement<br />
Sciences at<br />
Maastricht University.<br />
The congress will<br />
also feature a plenary<br />
debate, to which ministers<br />
from some<br />
European countries<br />
have been invited. The<br />
topic of this debate is<br />
‘The political landscape<br />
for the production<br />
and consumption<br />
of meat’.<br />
The Department of Agriculture,<br />
Food and the<br />
Marine (DAFM) carried out<br />
almost 9.6 million tuberculosis<br />
(TB) tests on cattle in<br />
2022, exceeding its target of<br />
9.3 million tests, according<br />
to a new report.<br />
The figures are contained<br />
in the recently published<br />
Public Service Performance<br />
Report which examines<br />
the effectiveness and<br />
efficiency of government<br />
departments and state bodies.<br />
The report shows that<br />
the department had a total<br />
expenditure of €1.8 billion<br />
in 2022, compared to almost<br />
€1.7 billion in the previous<br />
year.<br />
Of that €1.8 billion, €325<br />
million was spent on pay,<br />
€242 million on capital, €53<br />
million on pensions and the<br />
remaining €1.2 billion in<br />
expenditure was classified<br />
as “non-pay”.<br />
5,607 staff were employed<br />
by the department last year,<br />
up from 5,476 in 2021.<br />
The department spent<br />
almost €922 million on<br />
farm/sector support and<br />
controls, €431 million on<br />
policy and strategy and<br />
€332 million on food safety,<br />
animal and plant health<br />
and animal welfare. In 2022,<br />
the DAFM was responsible<br />
for a gross budget of some<br />
€3 billion of national and<br />
EU funds.<br />
121,903 farmers received<br />
direct payments from the<br />
EU under the Basic Payment<br />
Scheme (BPS) and<br />
Greening schemes.<br />
67,019 farmers received<br />
payments through the<br />
Green Low Carbon Agri<br />
Environment Scheme<br />
(GLAS), Agri Environment<br />
Options Scheme (AEOS),<br />
Beef Data and Genomics<br />
Programme (BDGP),<br />
organics and locally led<br />
schemes.<br />
The report shows that the<br />
department did not meet its<br />
target of paying 99,000 participants<br />
in the Areas of<br />
Natural Constraints (ANC)<br />
scheme; 96,593 farmers<br />
received a payment under<br />
the scheme last year.<br />
The report shows the<br />
department met just 28% of<br />
its target of 8,000ha of new<br />
forestry plantations; just<br />
2,273ha of land was<br />
afforested in 2022.<br />
The DAFM also failed to<br />
meet its target of carrying<br />
out 37,000 Bord Bia Sustainable<br />
Beef/Lamb Assurance<br />
Scheme (SBLAS) inspections,<br />
with 32,000 or 86%<br />
completed.<br />
EXPORTS<br />
The report shows that the<br />
value of agri-food exports<br />
hit €18.78 billion in 2022, up<br />
from €15.5 million the previous<br />
year.<br />
The value of dairy<br />
exports was €6.8 billion,<br />
beef exports were €3 billion<br />
and sheepmeat, pigmeat<br />
and poultry exports were<br />
worth €1.7 billion.<br />
86% of 75,000 consignments<br />
of live animals and<br />
products were inspected by<br />
department border-inspection<br />
posts.<br />
The value of primary<br />
agriculture production at<br />
producer prices rose from<br />
€9.6 million in 2021 to just<br />
over €12 million last year.<br />
Data was not yet available<br />
on the family farm income<br />
(FFI) in disadvantaged<br />
areas; in 2021 that figure<br />
stood at €31,325, up from<br />
€26,407 in 2020.<br />
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TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Minister calls for ‘sustainability<br />
commitments’ in EU trade deals<br />
Minister for Agriculture,<br />
Food and the Marine Charlie<br />
McConalogue has called<br />
on the EU to ensure there<br />
are “strong sustainability<br />
credentials” in its trade<br />
deals, and that their<br />
impact is fully taken into<br />
account.<br />
He was referring specifically<br />
to proposed trade<br />
deals with the Mercosur<br />
trading bloc and Australia<br />
when he spoke at a meeting<br />
of EU agriculture ministers<br />
on Monday, June 26.<br />
EU-Australia trade deals<br />
are currently progressing<br />
through the final rounds of<br />
negotiations.<br />
Speaking to his fellow EU<br />
agriculture ministers in<br />
the Council of the EU, Minister<br />
McConalogue called<br />
on the European Commission<br />
to minimise the additional<br />
beef and sheepmeat<br />
access to be offered to Australia<br />
in concluding the<br />
current free-trade agreement<br />
negotiations.<br />
“The key point I want to<br />
emphasise is the importance<br />
of ensuring that the<br />
cumulative impact of preferential<br />
access for sensitive<br />
products in all<br />
European free-trade agreements<br />
is fully taken into<br />
account in any ongoing<br />
negotiations,” he said.<br />
On the EU-Mercosur Free<br />
Trade Agreement, the minister<br />
repeated his call for<br />
“robust commitments” on<br />
sustainability in negotiations<br />
with the South American<br />
trading bloc, which is<br />
comprised of Brazil,<br />
Argentina, Paraguay, and<br />
Uruguay.<br />
“I fully support the commission’s<br />
ongoing efforts<br />
to secure strong sustainability<br />
commitments from<br />
Mercosur. The additional<br />
instrument on sustainability<br />
commitments needs to<br />
be substantial and robust,”<br />
he said.<br />
He was referring to a<br />
legal instrument which the<br />
commission has proposed<br />
to include as part of the<br />
trade negotiations to<br />
ensure Mercosur beef produce<br />
destined for the EU<br />
market reaches a sufficient<br />
environmental standard.<br />
There has been much<br />
concern raised throughout<br />
the EU over the link<br />
between beef production<br />
in Mercosur countries –<br />
particularly Brazil – and<br />
deforestation.<br />
Yesterday’s meeting of<br />
agriculture ministers also<br />
discussed progress on the<br />
proposed Regulation on<br />
the Sustainable Use of<br />
Plant Protection Products;<br />
proposed regulations on<br />
geographical indications;<br />
labelling of organic pet<br />
food; and the development<br />
of a Farm Sustainability<br />
Data Network (FSDN).<br />
Agriculture ministers<br />
met again on Tuesday,<br />
June 27 to discuss agricultural<br />
issues related to<br />
trade, as well as a range of<br />
other issues.<br />
Events in the Council of<br />
the EU are likely to be<br />
eclipsed by the European<br />
Parliament’s committee on<br />
environment, which re -<br />
sumes voting today on the<br />
hugely controversial<br />
Nature Rewetting Law.<br />
National herd falls by over 550,000 head in 20 years<br />
The national herd has reduced by over<br />
550,000 head in the past 20 years, latest<br />
figures from the Department of Agriculture,<br />
Food and the Marine (DAFM)<br />
have revealed.<br />
According to the DAFM’s Animal<br />
Identification and Movement System<br />
(AIMS) report, on December 31, 2002,<br />
there were 7,074,033 cattle in Ireland.<br />
As of December 31, 2022, 20 years later,<br />
there were 6,504,599 cattle in Ireland.<br />
The DAFM figures indicate the number<br />
of cattle in Ireland has decreased by<br />
569,434 head of cattle since 2002.<br />
According to the 2022 data, the average<br />
herd size in Ireland is 66.2 cattle. The<br />
county with the largest average herd<br />
size is Waterford, with an average of<br />
127.5 cattle/herd.<br />
This is followed by Co. Kilkenny with<br />
an average herd size of 126.1 cattle. Co.<br />
Leitrim has the smallest average herd<br />
size at 25.1 cattle, followed by Co. Sligo<br />
with an average herd size of 33 cattle.<br />
As of December 31, 2022, there were a<br />
total of 98,217 cattle herds in Ireland.<br />
38,353 herds have fewer than 25 cattle;<br />
21,805 herds have between 25 and 49 cattle;<br />
and 11,839 herds have between 50<br />
and 74 cattle.<br />
7,116 herds have between 75 and 99 cattle,<br />
while 8,410 of herds have between<br />
100 and 149 cattle and 11,144 of these<br />
herds have 150 or more cattle.<br />
Of the 6.5 million cattle in Ireland,<br />
2.68 million of these are Friesian; 1.03<br />
million are Limousin; 774,371 are<br />
Charolais; 714,861 are Angus; and<br />
511,981 are Hereford. Friesian cattle<br />
account for 41% of the national herd<br />
followed by Limousin which accounts<br />
for just under 16% of the herd.<br />
65% of the calves born in 2022 were<br />
born to dairy dams. This means that<br />
some 1,587,438 calves were born to dairy<br />
dams, while 853,456 calves were born to<br />
beef dams.<br />
For calves born to beef dams this is a<br />
decrease of 2.5% compared to 2021 and<br />
a 2% increase for the calves born to<br />
dairy dams. Overall calf births<br />
increased by 0.38% from 2021 to 2022,<br />
with 2,431,683 born in 2021 and 2,440,894<br />
born in 2022.<br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
11<br />
Caution<br />
urged as<br />
redwater<br />
cases spike<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s are being<br />
reminded to be vigilant<br />
as a spike in the<br />
number of redwater<br />
infections has been<br />
reported in cattle<br />
herds in some regions<br />
of the country.<br />
Traditionally, June<br />
and September are<br />
two times of the year<br />
when the risk of a<br />
redwater outbreak is<br />
most prevalent.<br />
The hot weather this<br />
summer has been suggested<br />
as a potential<br />
contributing cause to<br />
the spike in cases this<br />
year.<br />
Cattle are most at<br />
risk when on undergrazed<br />
rough pastures<br />
with heavy grass covers<br />
that were not<br />
grazed in the later<br />
part of last year.<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s who leased<br />
ground this year with<br />
heavy grass covers<br />
that may not have<br />
been grazed last year<br />
should also be vigilant<br />
as cattle grazing<br />
these pastures are<br />
particularly susceptible<br />
to redwater infection.<br />
Redwater is caused<br />
by the parasite<br />
Babesia divergens<br />
and is transmitted by<br />
a tick that is found in<br />
Ireland, particularly<br />
in the west and along<br />
the Shannon river<br />
system.<br />
According to Animal<br />
Health Ireland<br />
(AHI), keeping pastures<br />
well managed<br />
can help prevent the<br />
disease, although<br />
margins near hedges<br />
may still be a suitable<br />
environment for these<br />
ticks.<br />
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12 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
65% of the calves born in<br />
2022 were born to dairy dams<br />
Based on figures<br />
released by the<br />
Department of Agriculture,<br />
Food and the<br />
Marine (DAFM), 65%<br />
of the calves born in<br />
2022 were born to<br />
dairy dams. This<br />
means that some<br />
1,587,438 calves were<br />
born to dairy dams,<br />
while 853,456 calves<br />
were born to beef<br />
dams.<br />
For calves born to<br />
beef dams this is a<br />
decrease of 2.5% compared<br />
to 2021 and a 2%<br />
increase for the calves<br />
born to dairy dams.<br />
Overall calf births<br />
increased by 0.38%<br />
from 2021 to 2022, with<br />
2,431,683 born in 2021<br />
and 2,440,894 born in<br />
2022.<br />
CALVES BORN IN<br />
2022<br />
In only nine of the 26<br />
counties there were<br />
more calves born to<br />
beef dams in 2022,<br />
based on the Animal<br />
Identification and<br />
Movement (AIMS)<br />
data. In 17 counties,<br />
more calves were born<br />
to dairy dams than<br />
beef, with Co. Cork<br />
having 327,556 more<br />
calves born to dairy<br />
dams than beef.<br />
CALF BIRTHS<br />
Based on the latest<br />
Irish Cattle Breeding<br />
Federation (ICBF)<br />
data some 2,016,856<br />
calves have been registered<br />
in <strong>2023</strong> to date.<br />
The AIMS data from<br />
DAFM shows that a<br />
total of 2,440,894<br />
calves were born on<br />
Irish farms in 2022.<br />
There were 840,050<br />
calves born in 2022<br />
sired by a Friesian<br />
sire, while 1,493,753<br />
calves were born to<br />
Friesian dams in the<br />
same period.<br />
For the beef dams,<br />
Limousin cows had<br />
the most number of<br />
calves born at 285,658,<br />
while Angus was the<br />
most popular beef sire<br />
with 437,197 calves<br />
born.<br />
The most popular<br />
breed for the use of<br />
dairy dams was<br />
Friesian with 830,059<br />
cows served or bred to<br />
a Friesian sire from a<br />
total of 1,587,438<br />
served to dairy dams<br />
in total; this accounts<br />
for 52.3% of the total<br />
number.<br />
The second-mostpopular<br />
breed used on<br />
dairy dams was<br />
Angus with 21.6%, followed<br />
by Hereford at<br />
13%. The data also<br />
shows that February<br />
was the month with<br />
the most calves born,<br />
which matches the<br />
spring-calving pattern<br />
operated on many<br />
farms.<br />
March and April<br />
come in second and<br />
third place for the<br />
number of calves<br />
born. Over 400,000<br />
dairy-sired calves<br />
were born in February,<br />
with this number<br />
more than halving for<br />
March to below<br />
200,000 head.<br />
Beef-sired calves<br />
were just over 200,000<br />
head in February but<br />
increased to just over<br />
350,000 in March and<br />
just over 300,000 in<br />
April, which is likely<br />
due to the increase in<br />
beef semen used on<br />
dairy farms after the<br />
first few weeks of<br />
breeding.<br />
Consumer demand for<br />
eggs ‘strengthening’<br />
Consumers are “trading<br />
down” from animal proteins<br />
like beef to poultry and eggs<br />
because of food inflation,<br />
which has led to a strengthening<br />
demand for eggs according<br />
to new research.<br />
But egg prices have also<br />
become increasingly volatile<br />
and reached “record-high levels”<br />
in some countries, according<br />
to Rabobank. Its latest<br />
research suggests this has had<br />
an impact across the egg supply<br />
chain – from breeders and<br />
producers to customers in<br />
retail, foodservice, and food<br />
processing.<br />
Rabobank said that it<br />
expects egg prices to “stay relatively<br />
high throughout <strong>2023</strong>”<br />
but also warned that supply is<br />
dropping in many countries.<br />
Earlier this year the Irish<br />
<strong>Farmer</strong>s’ Association warned<br />
that the price of eggs on Irish<br />
supermarket shelves had<br />
“gone up substantially in all<br />
retailers yet the portion<br />
received by farmers is<br />
abysmal”.<br />
According to Rabobank’s latest<br />
egg industry research<br />
while food prices have started<br />
to drop in some countries, egg<br />
prices have kept rising.<br />
It also highlighted that feed<br />
costs typically represent 60-<br />
70% of an egg producer’s<br />
costs.<br />
“Any change, upward price<br />
movements and especially any<br />
uncertainty about feed costs<br />
significantly impacts egg<br />
prices.<br />
“Feed prices are expected to<br />
stay elevated this year.<br />
Rabobank’s feed price outlook<br />
indicates a small decline of<br />
10% from the peaks of 2022<br />
but ongoing high price levels.<br />
This will keep production<br />
costs relatively high,”<br />
researchers stated.<br />
Rabobank also examined<br />
other key factors which it had<br />
identified as driving egg price<br />
volatility including avian<br />
influenza outbreaks (bird flu).<br />
It warned that the pressure of<br />
bird flu has been very high<br />
and ongoing outbreaks in<br />
Europe have had an impact on<br />
egg supply and also on industry<br />
profitability.<br />
According to the latest<br />
research the impact of Covid-<br />
19 on egg buying patterns also<br />
continues to be a notable<br />
trend.<br />
Rabobank said government<br />
restrictions on people’s movements<br />
during the pandemic<br />
resulted in a significant<br />
decline in the out-of-home consumption<br />
of eggs, particularly<br />
breakfast sales, but consumers<br />
then shifted their behaviour to<br />
eat breakfast at home – with<br />
eggs a central item.<br />
“This change in consumer<br />
behaviour still supports<br />
strong demand for egg products<br />
for the at-home market,”<br />
the bank stated.<br />
Rabobank also noted that<br />
new regulations have been<br />
introduced in some European<br />
countries which have affected<br />
the egg sector. It said the most<br />
relevant of these was the<br />
introduction of a ban on malechick<br />
culling at the hatchery<br />
level in Germany last year.<br />
“This regulatory change has<br />
impacted the European market,<br />
as Germany is the number<br />
one import market,<br />
representing 45% of EU egg<br />
imports,” the bank stated.<br />
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TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Irish grocery inflation has<br />
fallen to its lowest level so far<br />
this year, according to new<br />
data published on Monday,<br />
June 26 from Kantar. Grocery<br />
inflation rose by 15.8% in the<br />
12 weeks to June 11, <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
which is down on last month’s<br />
level of 16.5%.<br />
Take-home grocery sales in<br />
Ireland increased by almost<br />
11% in the month up to June<br />
11, as the average price per<br />
pack increased 14.1%. Grocery<br />
price inflation remains the<br />
main driver in increased value<br />
sales, Kantar said.<br />
Shoppers returned to stores<br />
more often during June<br />
(+9.2%) compared to the same<br />
month last year, making an<br />
average of two additional<br />
trips. However, this was down<br />
slightly compared to May.<br />
“This latest drop in grocery<br />
price inflation will be very welcome<br />
news for consumers,<br />
although it is too soon to say if<br />
this is the ceiling as inflation<br />
rates are still much higher<br />
than we have previously seen,”<br />
Emer Healy, senior retail analyst<br />
at Kantar, said.<br />
Healy said that consumers<br />
were “shopping little and often<br />
to help manage household budgets”.<br />
“The percentage of packs<br />
sold on promotion also<br />
increased to 25.8% compared<br />
to 24.7% last year, showing<br />
shoppers are carefully choosing<br />
promotional items to help<br />
them to make ends meet,” she<br />
added.<br />
Due to the longer, warmer<br />
days, consumers spent an additional<br />
€2.9 million on beer and<br />
lager, €1.9 million on chilled<br />
burgers and grills, and €1.2<br />
million on fresh sausages. The<br />
cost-of-living crisis is also leading<br />
to people thinking about<br />
what they eat and how they<br />
cook at home.<br />
“As shoppers look for easier<br />
meals with less waste, sales of<br />
total chilled ready meals shot<br />
up by 20% with shoppers<br />
spending an additional €2.9<br />
million year-on-year,” Healy<br />
said.<br />
Over the 12 weeks to June 11,<br />
the growth in sales of own<br />
label (15%) was almost double<br />
that of brands (7.8%) as shoppers<br />
look for ways to save<br />
money. Value own-label was up<br />
28.9% year-on-year with shoppers<br />
spending €15.7 million<br />
more on these ranges.<br />
Online sales remained strong<br />
over the period, up 2.2% with<br />
shoppers spending an additional<br />
€3.5 million on the platform<br />
year-on-year. Dunnes,<br />
Tesco and Lidl all reported<br />
increased sales value this<br />
month, with the gap in market<br />
share beginning to close<br />
between the top two retailers.<br />
Dunnes continues to hold the<br />
highest market share amongst<br />
all retailers at 22.9%, followed<br />
by Tesco with 22.6% and Super-<br />
Valu on 20.7%. Lidl hit a record<br />
new market share of 13.7%,<br />
while Aldi holds 12.3%.<br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
Grocery inflation drops to lowest level this year – Kantar<br />
13<br />
Agriculture accounts for 1.3%<br />
of all environment taxes<br />
Environment taxes on<br />
agriculture were 1.3% of<br />
the total environmentrelated<br />
taxes collected in<br />
2022, recent data has<br />
shown. This represents a<br />
total of €61 million collected,<br />
according to the<br />
Central Statistics Office<br />
(CSO).<br />
A total of €4.5 billion<br />
was collected in environment<br />
taxes in 2022, which<br />
was a lower figure than<br />
the €5 billion collected in<br />
2021, showing a decrease<br />
of €500 million. Gerard<br />
Keogh, statistician with<br />
the CSO said: “The<br />
decrease was due to the<br />
introduction of a temporary<br />
reduction in excise<br />
duty on fuels in April.”<br />
An environment tax is<br />
defined by EU regulations<br />
as tax whereby the<br />
tax base is a physical unit<br />
of something that has a<br />
proven negative impact<br />
on the environment, and<br />
which is identified in the<br />
European system of<br />
accounts as a tax.<br />
Environment-related<br />
taxes accounted for 4% of<br />
total taxes in 2022, with<br />
the CSO providing a<br />
breakdown of the taxpayer<br />
type and the economic<br />
sector of the taxes.<br />
Environment taxes in<br />
agriculture reached their<br />
peak in 2015, when a total<br />
of €81 million was collected,<br />
including €73 million<br />
in energy taxes.<br />
Taxes on transport fuels<br />
(hydrocarbon oils)<br />
accounted for 54% of all<br />
energy taxes in 2022.<br />
Keogh said: “The combined<br />
carbon tax, carbon<br />
credits and the public service<br />
obligation (PSO)<br />
levy accounted for 41% of<br />
energy taxes.”<br />
There was an increase<br />
of carbon taxes seen in<br />
2022, as the CSO reported<br />
they rose by 22% to €807<br />
million. Transport taxes<br />
(including motor tax and<br />
vehicle registration tax)<br />
accounted for 39% of all<br />
environment-related taxes<br />
in 2022.<br />
“Environment taxes<br />
levied on service industries<br />
were €1.4 billion in<br />
2022, representing a 31%<br />
share of total environment<br />
taxes,” Keogh<br />
added.<br />
Only 0.4% (€18 million)<br />
of all environment taxes<br />
were collected in the<br />
form of pollution and<br />
resource taxes – a landfill<br />
levy; a plastic bag levy; a<br />
fisheries levy; or a petroleum<br />
act levy.<br />
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14 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
Sheep processors yet to<br />
seek access to US market<br />
Sheep processors in Ireland<br />
are yet to begin the process<br />
of seeking access to the US<br />
market, despite the market<br />
opening for Irish sheepmeat<br />
over a year ago.<br />
In April of last year, Minister<br />
for Agriculture, Food<br />
and the Marine Charlie<br />
McConalogue announced<br />
that a veterinary health<br />
certificate had been agreed<br />
with the US Department of<br />
Agriculture (USDA), paving<br />
the way for Irish sheepmeat<br />
to be exported to the<br />
US.<br />
No sheep processor in the<br />
country has taken advantage<br />
of this as of yet.<br />
Responding to parliamentary<br />
questions from Fine<br />
Gael Mayo TD Michael<br />
Ring, the minster explained<br />
that food business operators<br />
must submit a site-specific,<br />
time-bound work<br />
programme to the Department<br />
of Agriculture, Food<br />
and the Marine, demonstrating<br />
how they will<br />
achieve compliance with<br />
US standards.<br />
“Once a sheepmeat plant<br />
successfully completes the<br />
USDA approval process, my<br />
department will notify the<br />
Food Safety Inspection Service<br />
of the USDA that the<br />
plant can be registered to<br />
export sheepmeat to the<br />
US,” he said.<br />
However, Minister<br />
McConalogue confirmed<br />
that no sheep processor has<br />
started this process.<br />
“At present, no sheepmeat<br />
plants have submitted<br />
a documented work programme,”<br />
he said.<br />
“My department is<br />
actively engaging with<br />
interested plants in assessing<br />
how they can comply<br />
with the requirements for<br />
this trade.”<br />
Due to the fact that no<br />
sheep processor has sought<br />
approval to export to the<br />
US, Ireland has not<br />
exported any sheepmeat to<br />
the US since the agreement<br />
with the USDA last year,<br />
the minister confirmed.<br />
“While the role of my<br />
department is to open up<br />
international markets in<br />
consultation with stakeholders,<br />
it is up to industry<br />
– with the support of my<br />
department and Bord Bia’s<br />
marketing expertise – to<br />
capitalise on the resulting<br />
opportunities for trade,”<br />
Minister McConalogue<br />
said.<br />
It had<br />
been<br />
hoped that<br />
Irish lamb<br />
would hit the<br />
US market in the first quarter<br />
of this year.<br />
Speaking last September,<br />
Seamus McMenamin,<br />
sheepmeat and livestock<br />
sector manager with Bord<br />
Bia, had said that, currently,<br />
the US sheepmeat<br />
market is dominated by<br />
produce from Australia and<br />
New Zealand.<br />
“It looks like our space is<br />
going to be high-end. Not<br />
massive volumes but a high<br />
price point once we get<br />
plant approval and get that<br />
product into that market,”<br />
McMenamin<br />
had<br />
said.<br />
Potential to create<br />
230 new places for<br />
veterinary medicine<br />
annually<br />
A total of 230 places for veterinary<br />
medicine could be created<br />
annually, according to the Department<br />
of Further and Higher Education,<br />
Research, Innovation and<br />
Science.<br />
A report by the Higher Education<br />
Authority (HEA) found that,<br />
with investment, an additional<br />
230 vets could potentially be<br />
trained every year, the department<br />
said.<br />
It is understood that there is<br />
potential for new programmes in<br />
veterinary medicine at the University<br />
of Limerick (UL), Atlantic<br />
Technological University (ATU),<br />
and South East Technological<br />
University (SETU).<br />
University College Dublin<br />
(UCD), which is currently the<br />
only provider of third-level education<br />
in veterinary medicine,<br />
has potential to create further 45<br />
places annually and five gradentry<br />
places.<br />
Capacities at UL, ATU and SETU<br />
have been assessed to be at 90, 40,<br />
and 40 student places for veterinary<br />
medicine every year at full<br />
roll out, according to the department.<br />
The available options were officially<br />
announced by Minister for<br />
Further and Higher Education,<br />
Simon Harris; Minister for<br />
Health, Stephen Donnelly; and<br />
Minister for Agriculture, Food<br />
and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue<br />
on Wednesday, June 21.<br />
New courses could be spread<br />
over a number of third levelproviders<br />
with the optimal model<br />
for provision in each discipline<br />
considered in a further assessment,<br />
the department said.<br />
The government agreed to<br />
advance the process with investment<br />
to be considered in the context<br />
of budgetary processes and<br />
the National Development Plan<br />
review, the department added.<br />
The Department of Agriculture,<br />
Food and the Marine (DAFM) will<br />
work with the department of further<br />
and higher education, health,<br />
and public expenditure with a<br />
view to agreeing an approach to<br />
be brought to government in the<br />
“very near future”, Minister<br />
McConalogue said.<br />
The HEA was also tasked by the<br />
department to establish how additional<br />
capacity might be provided<br />
in medicine, nursing, pharmacy,<br />
and dentistry.<br />
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TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
15<br />
‘On site’ inspections<br />
of fertiliser imports<br />
in future<br />
On-site inspections of<br />
fertiliser imports will<br />
be carried out at<br />
farms and merchants’<br />
premises by the<br />
Department of Agriculture,<br />
Food and the<br />
Marine (DAFM) to<br />
ensure “compliance”<br />
under the new vet and<br />
medicines bill, the<br />
Seanad has been told.<br />
The Minister for<br />
Agriculture, Food and<br />
the Marine, Charlie<br />
McConalogue recent -<br />
ly told the Seanad that<br />
there are no provisions<br />
in the new Veterinary<br />
Medicinal<br />
Products, Medicated<br />
Feed and Fertilisers<br />
Regulation Bill that<br />
will prevent farmers<br />
from buying fertiliser<br />
from outside the state.<br />
Minister McConalogue<br />
said that the second<br />
part of the bill –<br />
which will lead to the<br />
creation of a national<br />
fertiliser database –<br />
will require on-site<br />
inspections by DAFM<br />
“as part of its compliance<br />
verification programme”.<br />
The database will<br />
compile data on<br />
import, sale, supply<br />
and use of fertilisers<br />
and “allow for analysis<br />
of data” to assist in<br />
the administration of<br />
other DAFM schemes.<br />
The minister told<br />
the Seanad that crossborder<br />
trade in fertilisers<br />
will not be disrupted<br />
as a result of<br />
the new bill and that<br />
he believes this trade<br />
will continue.<br />
“The only additional<br />
requirement will be<br />
that such transactions<br />
are imports and farmers<br />
buying from<br />
Northern Ireland, as<br />
an example, will have<br />
to register as a fertiliser<br />
economic operator.<br />
“The department<br />
will include on-site<br />
inspections as part of<br />
its compliance verification<br />
programme,<br />
including risk-based<br />
on-farm inspections<br />
and inspections at an<br />
importer and merchant<br />
level, to confirm<br />
accuracy of information<br />
being loaded onto<br />
the database,” Minister<br />
McConalogue<br />
Fertiliser prices fall further<br />
but price variation remains<br />
Fertiliser prices are continuing<br />
to decline across the<br />
country but there remains to<br />
be a significant variation in<br />
prices, depending on the outlet.<br />
Merchants that<br />
have bought fertiliser<br />
more<br />
recently appear to<br />
be charging the<br />
lower rates and<br />
merchants that<br />
have stock from a<br />
few weeks ago are<br />
having to charge<br />
the higher rates as<br />
prices continue to<br />
decline.<br />
For Calcium<br />
Ammonium Nitrate (CAN),<br />
the price per tonne is varying<br />
from €360-385/t, a variation<br />
of €25/t between most<br />
outlets. Protected urea is generally<br />
trading at prices from<br />
between €500-555/t, a difference<br />
of €55.<br />
Going by the above prices,<br />
added.<br />
During the second<br />
reading of the vet and<br />
medicines bill in the<br />
Seanad, a number of<br />
senators highlighted<br />
farmers’ concerns<br />
over data storage and<br />
data sharing in relation<br />
to the new<br />
national fertiliser<br />
database.<br />
The minister told<br />
protected urea is better value<br />
than CAN when compared on<br />
a per-unit-nitrogen basis.<br />
Protected urea is also recommended<br />
for use over CAN or<br />
ordinary urea fertiliser as it<br />
it less prone to volatilisation.<br />
Looking at compound fertiliser,<br />
18:6:12 is trading at<br />
prices ranging from €470-520,<br />
a variation of €50/t.<br />
Conversations with agrimerchants<br />
would suggest fertiliser<br />
prices have ‘bottomed<br />
out’, however this remains to<br />
senators that his<br />
department “has<br />
taken the steps necessary<br />
to ensure the<br />
data collected under<br />
this bill will comply<br />
with all aspects of<br />
data protection regulations,<br />
rules and<br />
requirements.”<br />
He added: “The<br />
robust data-sharing<br />
provisions in the legislation<br />
will allow the<br />
specific sharing of<br />
data with other bodies<br />
to achieve environmental<br />
and sustainability<br />
targets to be<br />
fully in line with the<br />
general data protection<br />
regulation and<br />
other data legislation.”<br />
be seen and the best advice<br />
for farmers buying fertiliser<br />
is to shop around and only<br />
buy supplies as they are<br />
needed.<br />
While fertiliser prices have<br />
fallen, it is still an<br />
expensive input and<br />
farmers should only target<br />
fertiliser when and<br />
where it is needed.<br />
Consult soil-sample<br />
results to assess the<br />
fields which may need<br />
additional attention for<br />
phosphorus (P) and<br />
potassium (K) requirements.<br />
Slurry should be targeted<br />
at fields with low<br />
P and K indexes as well as<br />
ground where cuts of silage<br />
have been taken off. This will<br />
help replenish P and K<br />
reserves in the soil after a<br />
cut of silage has been taken<br />
and reduce the need for<br />
chemical P and K on the<br />
farm.<br />
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Dairy<br />
Services<br />
086 2519 512<br />
ctrconnor@icloud.com<br />
Job vacancies now on offer
16 TOPIC • 6 <strong>July</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MIDLAND FARMER<br />
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