DEAR SIR: While reading the letter from the Pedigree Council of Ireland in your issue dated 24 April 2021, I checked that I hadn’t somehow found myself transported back in time.

Traditionally, Irish family farms were managed by both men and women working in unison. This letter was littered with male-specific terms such as, he, his, man’s, man, himself and finally dairy man. Women’s work on Irish farms has long been undervalued, as is generally acknowledged (both in academic research circles and among most farmers), with this article proving that.

Women make up 27% of Ireland’s agricultural workforce. This is a good example where the message was overshadowed and smothered by the outdated mindset of its author.