There were digs aplenty at the Kilkenny IFA dairy calf meeting recently. Most of the digs were along the lines “we told you so 10 years ago but you never listened” and “wasn’t it obvious the quality and frame size of cows was getting smaller”.
After comments reported at calf meetings last week, Teagasc’s Pat Dillon moved to share the blame around bringing the Dairygold, Glanbia and Lakeland chief executives into the mix for not anticipating all these bull calves were coming, rather than Teagasc taking all the heat.
The Dealer understands that after the IFA warm-up morning meeting in the Newpark Hotel, there was a real afternoon meeting between stakeholders.
Seemingly, the afternoon gathering was an attempt to bring together a number of calf policy groups that have been set up down through the years since Food Harvest was set up. At this meeting everyone, or almost every stakeholder was in the room – everyone except a Meat Industry Ireland representative I’m led to believe.
In terms of meeting outcomes, The Dealer understands the Department is going to bring milk processors together very shortly to try to bring everyone on to the same page. If it’s not planned then maybe it should be, as I understand individual milk processors are looking at doing different things.
The meaning of doing a line
The Dealer was intrigued to read a headline in the Irish Times this week, which proclaimed that farmers are more likely to take cocaine than any other part of the population.
I didn’t think farm incomes would stretch to doing a line of coke, but it would explain the wild disparity between the strong weanling prices and the current beef price.
The Times headline reminded me of a lively debate between former Macra presidents at its annual rally at the weekend.
Joe Healy, TJ Maher and Matt O’Keeffe took on the young whippersnappers James Healy, Michael Gowing and Alan Jagoe, who were arguing that “Romantic Ireland is dead and gone”.
Gowing recounted his own romantic proposal to his wife (and debate chair) Catherine, which apparently took place while pushing a ring feeder home from the local merchant.
Arguing that romance is dead, Gowing remarked that the phrase “doing a line” had a whole different meaning now than when Yeats wrote his poem. Indeed.
Farmers suing German government over missing climate change targets
I see that three German farmers have teamed up with Greenpeace and are suing Angela Merkel’s cabinet for missing the country’s targets on climate change.
One of the farmers lives on an island in the North Sea and is afraid of losing her house to rising sea levels, while another lost half his hay and millet crop because of the soaring temperatures. They claim that the government is infringing on their constitutional right to life and health.
The case was filed last year and is due in court this week.
Lights out on renewable energy conference
Last week, The Dealer found himself at the Energy and Rural Business expo at Cillin Hill mart in Kilkenny, which showcases the latest technologies in renewable energy.
Biogas
These range from solar power, to wind energy and the big one for Irish farmers – biogas.
Much to the amusement of all in attendance, the electricity at Cillin Hill actually cut out on two occasions on Thursday morning, leaving the renewable energy show without power and in need of light. A diesel generator was started up outside to get the power going again.
You couldn’t make it up.
Coillte appoints Hurley as its new boss
I see that Coillte, the state owned forestry business and largest landowner in Ireland has appointed ex Origin Enterprises finance director as its new boss. Imelda Hurley who left Origin in 2018 will take a significant hit in her pay when she takes up her new position next week. In 2017 she earned more than €650,000 in total pay and bonuses from Origin. Meanwhile her predecessor in Coillte, Fergal Leamy received total pay last year of €315,000. Leamy has now taken up the role of chief operating officer with Glen Dimplex. Hurley was Greencore’s finance director prior to joining Origin.
Department looks at vet legislation
I see the Department of Agriculture is reviewing the legislation around vet practice ownership. It comes after the Veterinary Council of Ireland appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture a few weeks ago on the issue.
I’m told that there has been no commitment given on whether the legislation will actually change. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
There were digs aplenty at the Kilkenny IFA dairy calf meeting recently. Most of the digs were along the lines “we told you so 10 years ago but you never listened” and “wasn’t it obvious the quality and frame size of cows was getting smaller”.
After comments reported at calf meetings last week, Teagasc’s Pat Dillon moved to share the blame around bringing the Dairygold, Glanbia and Lakeland chief executives into the mix for not anticipating all these bull calves were coming, rather than Teagasc taking all the heat.
The Dealer understands that after the IFA warm-up morning meeting in the Newpark Hotel, there was a real afternoon meeting between stakeholders.
Seemingly, the afternoon gathering was an attempt to bring together a number of calf policy groups that have been set up down through the years since Food Harvest was set up. At this meeting everyone, or almost every stakeholder was in the room – everyone except a Meat Industry Ireland representative I’m led to believe.
In terms of meeting outcomes, The Dealer understands the Department is going to bring milk processors together very shortly to try to bring everyone on to the same page. If it’s not planned then maybe it should be, as I understand individual milk processors are looking at doing different things.
The meaning of doing a line
The Dealer was intrigued to read a headline in the Irish Times this week, which proclaimed that farmers are more likely to take cocaine than any other part of the population.
I didn’t think farm incomes would stretch to doing a line of coke, but it would explain the wild disparity between the strong weanling prices and the current beef price.
The Times headline reminded me of a lively debate between former Macra presidents at its annual rally at the weekend.
Joe Healy, TJ Maher and Matt O’Keeffe took on the young whippersnappers James Healy, Michael Gowing and Alan Jagoe, who were arguing that “Romantic Ireland is dead and gone”.
Gowing recounted his own romantic proposal to his wife (and debate chair) Catherine, which apparently took place while pushing a ring feeder home from the local merchant.
Arguing that romance is dead, Gowing remarked that the phrase “doing a line” had a whole different meaning now than when Yeats wrote his poem. Indeed.
Farmers suing German government over missing climate change targets
I see that three German farmers have teamed up with Greenpeace and are suing Angela Merkel’s cabinet for missing the country’s targets on climate change.
One of the farmers lives on an island in the North Sea and is afraid of losing her house to rising sea levels, while another lost half his hay and millet crop because of the soaring temperatures. They claim that the government is infringing on their constitutional right to life and health.
The case was filed last year and is due in court this week.
Lights out on renewable energy conference
Last week, The Dealer found himself at the Energy and Rural Business expo at Cillin Hill mart in Kilkenny, which showcases the latest technologies in renewable energy.
Biogas
These range from solar power, to wind energy and the big one for Irish farmers – biogas.
Much to the amusement of all in attendance, the electricity at Cillin Hill actually cut out on two occasions on Thursday morning, leaving the renewable energy show without power and in need of light. A diesel generator was started up outside to get the power going again.
You couldn’t make it up.
Coillte appoints Hurley as its new boss
I see that Coillte, the state owned forestry business and largest landowner in Ireland has appointed ex Origin Enterprises finance director as its new boss. Imelda Hurley who left Origin in 2018 will take a significant hit in her pay when she takes up her new position next week. In 2017 she earned more than €650,000 in total pay and bonuses from Origin. Meanwhile her predecessor in Coillte, Fergal Leamy received total pay last year of €315,000. Leamy has now taken up the role of chief operating officer with Glen Dimplex. Hurley was Greencore’s finance director prior to joining Origin.
Department looks at vet legislation
I see the Department of Agriculture is reviewing the legislation around vet practice ownership. It comes after the Veterinary Council of Ireland appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture a few weeks ago on the issue.
I’m told that there has been no commitment given on whether the legislation will actually change. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
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