Butler becomes ASA president
I see Dr Anne Marie Butler is the new president of the Agricultural Science Association (ASA), taking the reins from Dairygold’s head of commercial Seamus O’Mahony.
As senior agricultural manager with Ulster Bank, Butler’s key focus is on business development across Ireland.
From a tillage farm in Kilkenny, she lectured in the School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD, having previously completed a degree and PhD in agriculture there.
Bringing her banking diligence to the presidential role, Butler has initiated a strategic review of the ASA to ensure that the organisation delivers for its members.
TB risk status - a selling point?
The Dealer loves to see early adopters in action.
While everybody else was putting matches to their TB letters last weekend, the Dealer noticed a few ads for stock with C10 herd status for TB as a selling point.
It’s a bit like the stars on the cattle. When they’re bad, they’re never mentioned and when they’re good, they’re the best thing ever.
If I don’t see C10 on an ad, does that mean it’s bad? Time will tell.
Calls for protection for tillage farmers
I see the Irish Grain Growers has called on the Minister for Agriculture to reopen the technical files for Ireland’s protected geographical indicators (PGIs); Irish whiskey and spirits.
The Grain Growers argue that if Irish cows’ milk must be used in order for Irish cream to qualify for a PGI, Irish grain and should be a requirement in order for whiskey to qualify.
There’s a new phenomenon out there in the cattle showing world and that’s to raffle a heifer or calf, as opposed to the normal route of sale.
The 2020 way is to stick up a photo of your calf on social media, along with her stars, breeding, photos of the mother, photos of the mother’s mother and what she could have won in 2020 – it all goes up there.
You sell numbers 1 to 59 based on the UK lotto numbers. It’s based on UK numbers as there are only 47 numbers on the Irish lotto, which means less moolah.
Fifty euro/number via PayPal into your account and the first number out on Saturday night wins the heifer. You get €2,850 for your animal and one lucky punter wins a heifer for €50.
How much simpler could it be? I’m setting up the PayPal account as we speak. Watch this space for the first Jersey bull calf raffle.
UCD AgSoc raises €60,000 for charity
Give a big bualadh bos to the lads and ladies of UCD’s Agricultural Science Society (AgSoc), who raised €60,000 during the 2019/2020 academic year for its nominated charities; St John’s Ward in Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Teac Tom.
Established in 1923, AgSoc is one of the largest societies on the UCD campus, with over 1,000 students registered and a 30-strong student committee working in a voluntary capacity.
In the latter months of the 2020 spring trimester, UCD students were based off campus due to public health restrictions.
Society auditor Aoife Bergin told the Dealer it was a privilege to work with an amazing committee, representing committed students who worked tirelessly to achieve the €60,000 target.
Cowen objects to biogas plant
I see former Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen has objected to a new biogas AD plant in his native Offaly.
He has lodged an objection against a proposal to build a 40GW renewable biogas plant just outside Tullamore.
I understood that he was originally supportive of the biogas plant, during his brief time as Minister for Agriculture but has now become an objector since he was sacked in mid-July.
I’ll be keeping an eye on how this one plays out.
£2m to save Highland Show
Scottish farmers will be raiding their piggy banks this autumn to fund the Royal Highland Show. The organisers of Scotland’s flagship farming event are asking its 16,000 members to donate £125 each. The “Save Your Show” appeal hopes to raise £2m to plug part of a £6m hole in the show finances.
It costs about £4m to put on the show with a good proportion of that already spent before COVID-19 cancelled this year’s event. The Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHSS), has already had £2.5m from the UK Government Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme. It is a troubling time for the biggest farming event in Scotland and its 200th anniversary is just round the corner in 2022.
Butler becomes ASA president
I see Dr Anne Marie Butler is the new president of the Agricultural Science Association (ASA), taking the reins from Dairygold’s head of commercial Seamus O’Mahony.
As senior agricultural manager with Ulster Bank, Butler’s key focus is on business development across Ireland.
From a tillage farm in Kilkenny, she lectured in the School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD, having previously completed a degree and PhD in agriculture there.
Bringing her banking diligence to the presidential role, Butler has initiated a strategic review of the ASA to ensure that the organisation delivers for its members.
TB risk status - a selling point?
The Dealer loves to see early adopters in action.
While everybody else was putting matches to their TB letters last weekend, the Dealer noticed a few ads for stock with C10 herd status for TB as a selling point.
It’s a bit like the stars on the cattle. When they’re bad, they’re never mentioned and when they’re good, they’re the best thing ever.
If I don’t see C10 on an ad, does that mean it’s bad? Time will tell.
Calls for protection for tillage farmers
I see the Irish Grain Growers has called on the Minister for Agriculture to reopen the technical files for Ireland’s protected geographical indicators (PGIs); Irish whiskey and spirits.
The Grain Growers argue that if Irish cows’ milk must be used in order for Irish cream to qualify for a PGI, Irish grain and should be a requirement in order for whiskey to qualify.
There’s a new phenomenon out there in the cattle showing world and that’s to raffle a heifer or calf, as opposed to the normal route of sale.
The 2020 way is to stick up a photo of your calf on social media, along with her stars, breeding, photos of the mother, photos of the mother’s mother and what she could have won in 2020 – it all goes up there.
You sell numbers 1 to 59 based on the UK lotto numbers. It’s based on UK numbers as there are only 47 numbers on the Irish lotto, which means less moolah.
Fifty euro/number via PayPal into your account and the first number out on Saturday night wins the heifer. You get €2,850 for your animal and one lucky punter wins a heifer for €50.
How much simpler could it be? I’m setting up the PayPal account as we speak. Watch this space for the first Jersey bull calf raffle.
UCD AgSoc raises €60,000 for charity
Give a big bualadh bos to the lads and ladies of UCD’s Agricultural Science Society (AgSoc), who raised €60,000 during the 2019/2020 academic year for its nominated charities; St John’s Ward in Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Teac Tom.
Established in 1923, AgSoc is one of the largest societies on the UCD campus, with over 1,000 students registered and a 30-strong student committee working in a voluntary capacity.
In the latter months of the 2020 spring trimester, UCD students were based off campus due to public health restrictions.
Society auditor Aoife Bergin told the Dealer it was a privilege to work with an amazing committee, representing committed students who worked tirelessly to achieve the €60,000 target.
Cowen objects to biogas plant
I see former Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen has objected to a new biogas AD plant in his native Offaly.
He has lodged an objection against a proposal to build a 40GW renewable biogas plant just outside Tullamore.
I understood that he was originally supportive of the biogas plant, during his brief time as Minister for Agriculture but has now become an objector since he was sacked in mid-July.
I’ll be keeping an eye on how this one plays out.
£2m to save Highland Show
Scottish farmers will be raiding their piggy banks this autumn to fund the Royal Highland Show. The organisers of Scotland’s flagship farming event are asking its 16,000 members to donate £125 each. The “Save Your Show” appeal hopes to raise £2m to plug part of a £6m hole in the show finances.
It costs about £4m to put on the show with a good proportion of that already spent before COVID-19 cancelled this year’s event. The Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHSS), has already had £2.5m from the UK Government Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme. It is a troubling time for the biggest farming event in Scotland and its 200th anniversary is just round the corner in 2022.
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