The Dealer is a curious soul and when he heard that India’s first high-speed train had been derailed by a holy cow after one day in action, he got to thinking about Irish Rail and not so holy Irish cows.

It turns out that a total of 212 animals have been killed by trains since 2016. Perhaps unsurprisingly, sheep make up the highest number of farm animals killed by trains, with eight killed last year and seven incidents of trains recorded colliding with flocks on train tracks. On average, four cows are killed every year by trains.

But overall, deer make up the highest number of deaths every year, with 73 dead since 2016. Considering the calls for deer culling in certain TB blackspots, maybe farmers should call for increased rail services instead.

IFA tightens reins with new code

I see that the IFA is asking members who sit on a committee or the association’s national council to sign a new code of conduct.

If a member is asked to represent IFA, he/she will be asked to sign off that any comments they make will reflect current IFA policy – even if they do not agree with it.

Members will also be asked to sign up to the IFA’s policy on protected disclosures. That’s whistle-blowing, to you and me. Anyone making such disclosures is asked to do so to the chair of the audit committee.

Anyone who signs on the dotted line is also agreeing to not seek a nomination for political office and undertaking that they will not be active in party politics.

Out of chickens and into mash

Janet McCollum, Moy Park CEO.
I see that the former boss of poultry producer Moy Park has joined the board of Northern Irish food manufacturer Mash Direct.

Janet Mukluks, who stepped down as CEO of Moy Park last year, also serves as a non-executive director at Glanbia Ireland, a position she has held since May 2018.

Mash Direct was founded by Martin and Tracy Hamilton and their sons in 2004. It has since gone on to grow and produce 40-plus “field-to-fork” vegetable and potato convenience dishes sold in major supermarkets including SuperValu, Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s.

Farmers wanted for Fittest Family

Ireland’s farmers are being encouraged to apply for Ireland’s Fittest Family.

Last year, the Coneys from Tyrone, coached by Anna Geary, took home the title of Ireland’s Fittest Family when they defeated the McDonalds from Laois, the Lawlors from Limerick and the Finnegan-Hogans from Cork in the grand final in Croke Park. The show is in its seventh series and has long attracted applications from farm families to take part.

Search

Now, show organisers are searching the country to find the fittest, fastest and strongest families to enter the extreme fitness competition. There is also a €15,000 cash prize up for grabs for the fittest family in the country. Not bad for a bit of exercise.

All the presidential contenders

Not so much “All the President’s men” as “all the men who would be President”. Joe Healy tackles Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed at last week’s beef protest in Cork. The IFA president is assisted by the three men believed to be the front-runners at this early stage to succeed him. Livestock chair Angus Woods (centre of pic), Munster regional chair John Coughlan (to Healy’s right), and national treasurer Tim Cullinan (foreground).

ICOS presidency

Michael Spellman will finish his term as ICOS president in June, The Dealer hears. He replaced Glanbia man Martin Keane less than a year ago when Keane took up his new job as Glanbia chair.

Spellman is a former president of the European Association of Livestock Markets (EALM) and a former chair of Roscommon Leader Partnership. From Kilteevan, he is a board member of Roscommon Co-operative Livestock Mart.

James O’Donnell is ICOS vice-president. It remains to be seen whether he will take a shot at the top job.

Bull in the city

Amid the hustle and “vegan” heckles hurled at An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the IFA protest in Cork last week, one figure stood out for keeping a cool head.

The IFA’s Angus bull was the very picture of calm, strolling past City Hall as mainstream media – including RTÉ’s political correspondent Paul Cunningham – flocked to film the star attraction.

The Dealer has heard of fertility testing for bulls but was reliably informed that the bull had to pass garda vetting before he was permitted to protest.

Debate on vet practices delayed

A decision surrounding the corporate ownership of veterinary practices is set to be delayed to the end of summer, I hear. The controversial issue of who should be allowed to own practices is still being debated by the Veterinary Council of Ireland. A decision had been expected in spring of this year but the can has been kicked further down the road.