Justin McCarthy, editor & CEO, Irish Farmers Journal

Farming and agri-related entrepreneurship form the backbone of rural communities. Farming on the Wild Atlantic Way is another attempt by the Irish Farmers Journal and our partners Kerry County Council to highlight the importance of agriculture to rural communities.

We have just recently completed another campaign, called Save our Sucklers, which had a similar objective. Since the Save Our Sucklers campaign started 10 weeks ago, we have received enormous support from farmers across all sectors. Rural businesses, vets, accountants, doctors, machinery dealers, livestock marts, AI companies, co-ops, feed companies, breed societies and many more have all rowed in behind the campaign and have given it their full support.

The economic importance of the suckler, sheep and dairy enterprise on rural Ireland is clear. The sheep and dairy sectors are growing while the suckler enterprise is holding it’s own. Both the cattle and sheep sector are huge revenue generators for those living and working in rural communities along the western seaboard.

We see these farm families as being every bit as important to the farming sector as those in other parts of the country. The level of diversification and innovation shown by some of the people and businesses in this special publication clearly reinforces the depth of talent, willingness and opportunity to make coastal life in rural Ireland a success.

Moira Murrell – chief executive of Kerry County Council

Kerry is a county in which agriculture forms a critical part of the local economy. A vibrant and sustainable farming sector is essential to the wider economic success of the county. That is why Kerry County Council welcomes this partnership with the Irish Farmers Journal to give a strong focus to farming on the Wild Atlantic Way and in Kerry as a whole.

To ensure there is a robust farming sector in rural counties such as Kerry, there needs to be a strong emphasis on rural development generally and supporting and strengthening rural communities. Kerry County Council is actively involved in projects and initiatives which generate economic activity in rural areas: supports for small- and medium-sized enterprises – including in the farming sector – the development of coastal research and innovation hubs, enhancements of our towns and villages, and investment in community projects in coastal areas.

The Wild Atlantic Way has been a wonderful catalyst for tourism, enterprise, and the revitalisation of coastal areas and the challenge now will be to develop and spread the benefits to the surrounding areas. Supporting a strong farming economy and other associated sectors into the future will give tremendous opportunities to rural counties such as Kerry to continue to grow and develop in the years ahead.