Farm recycling

IFA president Joe Healy has welcomed the positive discussions with the new Minister of State Sean Canney regarding the potential to expand the network of bring centres used to sustainably recycle old tyres, which were previously used to anchor silage pit covers. He said: “Farmers have a strong recycling record – over 27,000t of silage wraps are recycled annually and we look forward to the same success when it comes to the recycling of waste tyres.”

TAMS grant aid

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IFA rural development chair Joe Brady has called on the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to introduce TAMS grant aid for feed bins for the drystock sectors in the next tranche of the scheme which opens on 8 December. In relation to the overall scheme, he said that the allocation of €395m in the RDP will not be spent unless radical changes are made to the scheme.

Johne’s control programme

IFA animal health chair Pat Farrell has welcomed the announcement of phase two of the Irish Johne’s control programme which will start in 2019. This is a significant development for farmers following lengthy discussions with stakeholders. Farrell said the programme delivers on the key objectives set out by the IFA, which includes support for farmers who identify disease on their farms, cost-effective national screening and incentives to participate in a voluntary programme.

Retail price

IFA president Joe Healy has been appointed to represent COPA at the EU high-level forum for a better functioning food supply chain. In his role, he will continue to fight for a fair price for produce from large retailers. He said: “It is clear that farmers are not getting a fair share of the retail price. Many retailers are behaving like modern-day dictatorships, abusing their power to accumulate vast profits.”