TEAGASC FARMFEST ‘08 - BUILDING SUSTAINABLE RURAL AREAS

Speaking at the official opening of Farmfest and Bioenergy ‘08 in Athenry, last Friday, 20 June, Teagasc director Professor Gerry Boyle said: “Teagasc is all about the long-term sustainable development of agriculture, the food industry and rural-based business. While other industries have gone through a recent boom, farming and rural business have been developing on a steady, even keel over the past ten years during the Celtic Tiger.

"Now as some other sectors of the economy are slowing, most notably the construction industry, the sustainable development that has been taking place on farms and in innovative indigenous food and rural-based businesses is now coming to the fore.”

Professor Boyle said: ”The fruits of all that hard work are everywhere to be seen here in Athenry today, in terms of sustainable businesses for the future. In the core farming enterprises, Teagasc research shows how dairy farming has a competitive advantage relative to other European and global milk producers on a cash cost basis and so will provide a viable future for many dairy farmers.

"Despite the contraction in the sheep industry, some of the finest animals in the country are on show and competing for the coveted rosettes in their various championships.”

Professor Boyle pointed to the development of new start up rural based alternative enterprises.

“The hundreds of artisan food and speciality food producers displaying their unique range of products are a brilliant example of how innovative rural businesses can carve out niche markets, and develop in a sustainable way to survive and prosper in the years ahead. The speciality food market is now one of the fastest growing, worth €500 million annually in Ireland with a large European market worth €33 billion on our doorsteps,“ he said.

Professor Boyle continued: ”There has been a building revolution on Irish farmers over the last two years with over a €1 billion being invested in new facilities on farms this year, providing new activity for the construction industry in these more challenging times for that sector. This investment is about creating sustainable farming units for the medium to long term.”

“The Bioenergy ‘08 event in Athenry is highlighting ways of finding sustainable solutions to meet the growing energy needs of the country. Teagasc is committed to finding land-based energy solutions especially for domestic and consumer heating.

" Forestry, with its stock of ready to thin forests, will provide the material to meet the first wave of demand for biomass, while alternative energy crops such as willow and miscanthus are becoming more established.

"The big challenge for our researchers is to find sustainable plant-based alternatives, the so called second and third generation biofuels, which will provide long-term sustainable alternatives to petroleum based products,” he said.

Farmfest ‘08 is hosting the largest ever environmental display held in the country. Not only are the benefits of farming in harmony with the environment highlighted, but the economic benefits to farmers from utilising clover and animal manures to supply part of their fertiliser needs are also being stressed, providing a win-win situation.

CORK I.F.A. PROMOTES IRISH STRAWBERRIES TO MARK NATIONAL STRAWBERRY WEEK

Munster IFA vice president, Sean O’Leary was promoting Cork Strawberries and emphasised the importance of the local strawberry industry to the county, which produces the highest quality berries.

To mark National Strawberry Week IFA organised strawberries for local national school children in Burnfort, Co Cork. Commenting at the event, Sean O’Leary encouraged everyone to support the inaugural National Strawberry Week by buying world-class locally produced strawberries, adding that Irish consumers spent €46 million in 2007 on strawberries, an increase of 25% from 2006.

The promotion of Irish strawberries will continue throughout the summer months where emphasis will be on the strawberry’s health and nutritional value and its contribution to the Irish economy.

A consumer information campaign, primary school activities and the launch of a dedicated interactive website to include delicious recipes will all take to encourage consumers to enjoy more strawberries as we approach the summer season when Irish crops are at peak production.

Jimmy Kearns, chairman of IFA’s horticulture section and a strawberry producer said “2007 was a great year for strawberry sales and 2008 looks set to be even better as we are expecting a bumper harvest this year. We look forward to meeting the growing demand for high quality strawberries with a crop that is juicier, tastier and bigger than ever before.”

National Strawberry Week is organised by the IFA/Irish Soft Fruit Growers’ Association in conjunction with Bord Bia.

I.F.A. SEEK NEW PROTOCOL FOR FARM INSPECTIONS IN CHARTER NEGOTIATIONS

IFA President Padraig Walshe has said that a new Charter of Rights for farmers is the ideal opportunity for the Department of Agriculture to introduce a more commonsense approach to inspections for the Single Farm Payment and other farm schemes. He said a new and more acceptable protocol for farm inspections must be agreed and be part of the CAP Health Check.

Mr. Walshe was speaking at the first meeting between IFA and the Department of Agriculture to negotiate a new Charter of Rights for farmers. He said the current regime of on-the-spot inspections is impractical and grossly unfair to farmers.

Furthermore, he said the excessive penalty regime is unacceptable and reasonable tolerances must be put in place.

Padraig Walshe said now is the opportunity for the Minister of Agriculture and the department to introduce 14 days advance notice for all farm inspections. Mr. Walshe said that reasonable tolerances are necessary and must be in place across all schemes as the farm is a working environment.

He criticised attempts by the Department of Agriculture to roll back on earlier commitments on tolerances in the last Charter of Rights. He said it is totally unacceptable to farmers that the Department of Agriculture would attempt to diminish some of the existing tolerances agreed in the last charter.

The IFA president went on to say that the Department of Agriculture must approach the new charter negotiations with a view to simplifying and reducing the bureaucratic cross-compliance burden on farms. He said proposals to add new compliance standards in the CAP Health Check cannot be contemplated.

Mr. Walshe said that between the CAP Health Check and the new charter a more acceptable system to farmers can be put in place which treats them with the level of respect and dignity which the current system fails to deliver.