Wicklow executive

IFA president Eddie Downey attended the Wicklow county executive meeting last week. He reported on the IFA’s beef price campaign and updated members on further important concerns, including GLAS, commonages and milk prices. For upcoming county executives, see the events section at www.ifa.ie

Finance Bill 2014

The IFA has prepared a submission on the Finance Bill 2014, which proposes a number of adjustments to reflect the reality of farming in Ireland. The IFA has also met the Department of Agriculture to voice concerns and will continue to press for alterations over the coming weeks. See www.ifa.ie.

Energy policy

IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Committee chair Harold Kingston has called on EirGrid to review its plans to put thousands of kilometres of electricity lines across the country following an ESB report, which questions the future demand predicted by EirGrid. If energy policy is to be successful, it must provide a clear directional path.

Smart farming

The IFA this week hosted a smart farming seminar to present and highlight how the initiative can help farmers to save money and improve returns. Check out www.smartfarming.ie for tips and advice on how you can improve returns through better resource management and to hear how the initiative has worked for others.

Market reports

Did you know that you can access market prices on the IFA website or on the IFA’s free iFarm app. Prices are updated weekly and market commentary is also available. Take a look at www.ifa.ie or ifarm.ie.