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The Dealer remembers fondly the story of the Howard family’s remarkable cow who gave birth to five calves in August 2019 in Bawnagleanna, Currow, Co Kerry.
Four of the famous Charolais calves survived and were booked in to be sold on Wednesday (14 October) night’s weanling sale at Gortatlea Mart.
Speaking with the Dealer before the sale, owner Patrick Howard said he hoped his bullocks would make a good price on the night.
“They have done a great thrive, and are just over one-year-old now. They weigh roughly 420kg.
“I’ve had them on 2kg of meal per day so they have filled out well.
“I decided to sell now with good prices and grass getting tight coming into the winter. The sale will be online also so we are hopeful there will be plenty of bidders.”
A footnote in the IFA’s Brexit report caught my eye last night.
“The IFA acknowledges the contribution of Cúl Dara Consultancy in preparing this publication.”
Consultants in the agri industry are well-known to the Dealer but on this occasion I was stumped by the name.
Turns out Cúl Dara Consultancy is the new name for a familiar face – Catherine Lascurettes, the IFA’s former dairy executive. Catherine set up her new business in September 2020, having been one of seven staff who took up a €1.134m retirement scheme from the IFA.
I’ve been contacted by many farmers about the RTÉ show What Planet Are You On? since it aired.
Farmers or individuals wishing to make a formal complaint about the show should note that there is a formal procedure for making a complaint to RTÉ.
There’s no point complaining to your cows or your neighbour.The complaint must outline what show the person is referring to and what the complaint is in regard to, specifically if the programme has breached impartiality in any way or not been fair to all interested concerns.
Formal complaints can be sent by letter to RTÉ Complaints office, Third Floor Admin Building, RTÉ, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, or by e-mail to complaints@rte.ie
A new online awareness campaign, Ag Mental Health Week, has gathered an international audience after being created by Cork dairy farmers, Peter and Paula Hynes.
The campaign runs from 10 to 16 October and is aimed at highlighting the importance of mental health awareness in agriculture, for farmers all over the world. “This is a week for farmers around the world to stand together to share the same message,” Peter Hynes told the Dealer.
The campaign can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by searching
@AgMentalHealthWeek or using the hashtag #AgMentalHealthWeek.
The pedigree world was dealt a shock last week with the news that Limousin Society breed secretary Paul Sykes is stepping down from his role.
The Mayo man was highly regarded, not just in Limousin circles, but in the wider pedigree fraternity and his exit is a huge loss to pedigree breeders across all breeds.
Often the voice of reason at fraught industry meetings between pedigree breeders and the ICBF, his ability to look at the bigger picture and listen to everyone’s side of the story will be sorely missed.
Legacy
One of his lasting legacies will be how he developed the UK market for Irish breeders and made UK customers a regular sight around the ringside in Roscrea at premier sales, something the envy of many other breed societies.
I hear that new Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has added to his own cabinet.
Patrick Donohoe, formerly of this parish, will join McConalogue as an adviser in the coming weeks.
Donohoe most recently served under Michael Hanley in Lakeland Dairies and previously worked for the former Co Monaghan Co-op LacPatrick Dairies, helping deliver the merger with Lakeland in 2019.
The Dealer wonders who’ll be looking after the sucklers in Longford in Donohoe’s absence.
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