The Dealer hears that farmer Seamus McGlynn has retired from Smyths Daleside Animal Feeds in Donegal after 51 years.

Retiring on his 70th birthday, McGlynn said he clocked up two million miles in his career and did business with three generations of some families.

Having started out as a pig adviser, he moved more in to sheep and dairy sales when the bacon factory in Donegal closed.

McGlynn thanked all his loyal customers and offered this advice to young farmers: “Young people are still interested in farming provided they don’t overstretch and keep borrowings under control.

‘‘It is important for farmers to take part in farm walks but when you get back home, not get carried away.”

Seamus McGlynn has retired from Smyths Daleside Feeds in Donegal

Going Dutch at Glanbia

The Dealer hears that Glanbia has recruited from overseas, from the Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina no less, for somebody to head up all of its commercial operations.

My understanding is that Andreas Mantis has substantial experience in infant formula in Asia, but obviously given this new role, baby powder will only be part of the mix.

Larry pockets €16m over internal Department spat

I see the Department of Health came in for some criticism last week as a report revealed new offices at Miesan Plaza sat empty for 17 months to a cost of €15.8m. Apparently the delay was caused in part by disagreements between the OPW and some civil servants over plans to move them from personal offices to an open-plan space.

While I’m none too sure of the benefits of one-office layout over another and we’ve always embraced loose-housing on our farm, I do know the landlord will be happy. Well the owner of the building is none other than Larry Goodman’s company which bought it in 2012. Farmers might look longingly at the OPW which said it secured “an extremely competitive rent” for the building when it comes to securing a competitive beef price.

A slice of ministerial humble pie

In July, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the Dáil that he wouldn’t “believe every headline he read in the Irish Farmers Journal,” after this newspaper wrote that low-cost loans – promised in last year’s budget – wouldn’t be available until 2019.

On Tuesday of this week, Minister Creed confirmed to the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture that low-cost loans would not be available until 2019.

We could say that a fair slice of ministerial humble pie is in order, but the real sense of bitterness is for all the farmers who are left waiting for a 2018 loan fund that never materialised.

Divine intervention rolled out

Traffic pandemonium reigned in Cootehill, last Saturday, when more than 400 farmers descended on the Cavan town for the first subsidised tyre recycling day at the local mart.

Tailbacks of up to 2.5km were causing gardaí serious consternation with mutterings of turning farmers with their trailer loads of tyres back.

However, divine intervention appeared in the form of the local parish priest who offered the church car park for farmers to pull in off the road.

Unfortunately, it might take more than divine intervention to get Minister Naughten to roll out a nationwide tyre collection scheme.

Scenes in Cootehill, Co Cavan, where there were 2.5km tailbacks to recycle tyres.

Dairy replacements on Teagasc board

Two dairy men on the Teagasc board have been replaced by two new dairy men. John Buckley has replaced Alan Jagoe as the Macra na Feirme nominee. The west Cork dairy farmer is the 2013 FBD Young Farmer of the Year and a 2015 Nuffield Scholar.

Chair of Aurivo, Pat Duffy, is taking up the seat previously held by the former chair of Connacht Gold co-op and former president of ICOS Padraig Gibbons. Duffy is a dairy farmer from Gortletteragh, Co Leitrim.

The 11-member authority is appointed by the Minister for Agriculture.

Talbot builds her income

I see that Glanbia boss Siobhan Talbot is to join the board of Ireland’s largest listed company, CRH.

The construction giant will pay her the handsome salary of €78,000 for sitting on the board and if she takes on any committee work, it could rise to more than €120,000.

However, she will still keep the day job which paid her almost €2m last year.

O’Shea among top 30 under 30

Congratulations to Agri Aware’s Deirdre O’Shea, who was announced on Tuesday evening as the business game changer for 2018 in U Magazine’s 30 under 30 awards Also recognised was Aisling Hussey, formerly of this parish.

Aisling is now in charge of digital communications for the Peter McVerry Trust, and recipient of U Magazine’s industry changer award.