Litter fines

IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney has called on all local authorities to develop plans to address the annual increase in littering of the countryside that takes place post-Christmas, as people recklessly dump litter of all sorts. Cooney said: “Recent reports indicate that packaging waste generated from online shopping will increase by 33% this year to 10,000t. ”

Future leaders

The IFA future leaders programme, developed by Farm Business Skillnet, was completed by 22 delegates from around the country. The programme is chaired by Farm Business Skillnet chair Nigel Renaghan, who said: “The IFA is committed to investing in future leaders of the sector and providing them with skills that they can apply on their farm and elsewhere.”

Suckler survival

IFA national livestock committee chair Angus Woods told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture that farmers need a much stronger and more supportive policy from Government for the suckler cow sector. He said: “We need to maintain our vitally important suckler cow herd. In order to do this, farmers need a targeted direct payment of €200 per cow.”