The Westmeath Bachelor competition is back for 2020.

Twelve of Ireland’s finest gentlemen will be judged by a celebrity panel of Louis Walsh, Anne Doyle, Brian Dowling and Tara O’Farrell.

Louis is well accustomed to looking for stars with The X Factor but on this occasion the judges are looking for an individual who is polished, poised and has a social conscience. While they don’t mention road frontage, The Dealer is sure that must be in there somewhere too.

The newly-crowned Westmeath Bachelor will receive a signature hand-crafted trophy, as well as €2,000 worth of shopping in Mullingar, a holiday worth €1,000 and €500 for his chosen charity. Go to www.westmeathbachelor.ie for details on registration.

€20,000 for pro-farming campaign

I see that agri solicitor Aisling Meehan has secured €20,000 in funding from the Golden Jubilee Trust to further her Understanding Agriculture campaign.

The campaign aims to promote a positive image of agriculture in Ireland and help raise the morale in the farming community.

I’m told the plan is to form a co-op and develop new images and then put them up on billboards on farmers’ lands. I am also reliably informed that there has been a good bit of interest from farmers and landowners who have offered to host a billboard on their lands.

Register

People can still register to donate their interest at https://agriculturalsolicitors.ie/understand-agriculture/

Dairygold Co-op elections heat up

I see things are hotting up in the race for seats on Dairygold Co-op’s board.

There are nine in the running to fill the three seats vacated by Tom Feeney of Mitchelstown and John O’Sullivan of Whitechurch, who have both finished their terms. Seán MacSweeney of Lissarda is seeking re-election to the third seat. He will have to battle hard in a field that includes a number of IFA stalwarts. Mitchelstown pair Mary Twomey Casey and Martin Doherty and Tim O’Leary of Blarney would be no strangers to the ballot box. The same could be said of Kilnamartyra’s Brendan Hinchion. Joining them on the ballot are Killavullen’s Finian Magner and Pat O’Donovan of Whitegate.

I also notice some new blood in the form of Fintan McSweeney from Donoughmore and Don Whelan of Mitchelstown.

All fired up by Christmas cracker sale

Saturday’s Christmas cracker bull sale at Elphin Mart went down a storm with one Kildare farmer.

“There was 2,000 people there,” he told The Dealer. “The car park was full of jeeps and trailers from Northern Ireland. They’re all getting out of milk because of Brexit and getting into sucklers. It’s the opposite of us – we’re getting out of sucklers and into milk.”

The canteen was going all day, he said. “It was €12.50 for a Christmas dinner. You’d need the bucket on the front of that tractor to help you carry it. As soon as one man would stand up finished, another would sit down.”

He watched 10 Charolais bulls sell for around €6,000. He stood next to one man he knew who bid as far as €6,000 on a fine bull. “I told him not to lose it. If he’d bid another €100 he’d have got it. But he didn’t. He then bought a **** of a bull for €4,000.”

Christmas tree cartel at work

The Dealer was in a prickly mood last weekend on the hunt for a Christmas tree. He was quoted €60 for a six-foot tree in no fewer than three nurseries. While there was talk of a “beef cartel” over the summer, he now fears a Christmas tree cartel has slipped in over winter.

The Dealer raised his concerns with the family but was accused of scrooge-like tendencies and is now the proud owner of a six-foot tree and a lighter pocket.

Combines 4 Charity anniversary raffle – just the ticket for Christmas presents

The Dealer hears readers are ditching the last-minute Christmas shopping this year, opting instead to buy a raffle ticket for the Combines 4 Charity mega anniversary draw. Over €150,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs, including a VW Amarok 3.0 V6 Comfortline, Volkswagen T-Roc 1.0, John Deere Gator and €20,000 in cash, to name a few. Tickets cost €50 each or €90 for two and are a perfect present for the farmer in your life. Tickets are available online and all profits go to charity.

Mooves afoot for AIB agri team

I hear respected AIB banker Anne Finnegan is to leave her role with AIB.

From the same stable, I understand Tipperary-based Pat O’Meara is also moving on to focus on the running of his dairy farm.

Speaking of moving on, I see Herdwatch has just recently launched an updated version of its app and also formed a strategic partnership with Dovea AI. The other deal I saw confirmed this week was Roy Power’s Waterford-based Specialist Nutrition securing a five-year deal to supply over 500,000t of distiller’s grains from a US ethanol plant to New York dairy farmers.

I never expected an Irish man to sell American feed to American dairy farmers.