Small margins and unprofitable farming in the west was voiced during the Irish Farmers Journal Wild Atlantic Way of Farming listening event in Westport last Thursday. The focus group, which consisted of up to 30 farmers from across Mayo, discussed numerous issues over the two -hour event, with the concern over the future of agriculture in the region foremost in their feedback.
Local councillor and hill farmer Michael Holmes told the gathering that he is concerned that the lack of profitability in lamb across the county will have a knock on effect for rural Ireland into the future.
“Hill lambs are losing money. I got more for hills lambs in 1982 than I [do] now”, Holmes said.
“We are farming on marginal land and selling lamb below the cost of production. If that was a pub or a restaurant, it would be closed down.
“Everybody in the process is getting a margin on the product and the person that isn’t getting any margin at all is the one who lambs the ewe in the middle of the night and rears the animal.
We are getting payments from Europe and they are keeping us going but from an environmental point of view, these are justified. It is difficult to see who will replace us and that is sad because we want to keep the lights on in the houses.”
The feedback from the focus group also gave an oversight into major issues in Mayo, including emigration, farm viability, the power of factories, severe payment penalties from the Department, the impact of forestry and the future of sheep and suckler farms, both on the hills and in lowland areas.
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