I’m told Bord Bia’s proposed sustainability platform, under which farmers were expected to jump through environmental and welfare hoops in return for very little promise on beef and sheep prices, is back on the agenda.
Shadowy figures tell me Bord Bia and Teagasc are in talks about a memorandum of understanding between the two. The last time the sustainability programme was floated, farmers reacted angrily at the lack of consultation with them. The idea was dropped like a hot spud by Bord Bia.
Now there’s a new CAP looming that is focused on all things sustainable, green and good.
Teagasc is in need of a cash cow to replace the late and very lucrative Knowledge Transfer Programme. It hasn’t been as lucky as Bord Bia in recent budgets in receiving extra funding.
The more cynical among us would wonder how much the sustainability programme can deliver in cold hard cash for farmers, and also how it could be used to funnel CAP funding towards two semi-State agencies?
Kehoe and Gorman to contest IFA’s biggest ever postal ballot
With the votes in the US all cast, election junkies will soon be developing withdrawal symptoms. Perhaps the IFA contest for who is to succeed Tom Short as South Leinster chair will fill the void a little.
Like the US presidential contest, it’s a two-horse race. Francie Gorman and James Kehoe will go head to head at Zoom hustings.
Gorman received the backing of his native Laois, Kilkenny and Offaly.
Kehoe, the current Wexford chair, also was endorsed by Wicklow and Dublin. With only Kildare and Carlow left to nominate, no other valid candidate was possible.
Postal ballot
The election will, according to IFA national returning officer Martin Stapleton, be the first on such a scale to take place by postal ballot. The executives in six counties – all bar the two men’s home counties – will host online executives from 23 November, with voting to follow.
Top Gear farmer seeks bigger gap for machinery
I see Richard Hammond of Top Gear and The Grand Tour fame has applied for planning permission to relocate the main entrance to his 22ac holding in Herefordshire.
Two current entrances to the farm are too small for agricultural machinery and equipment to get in and he says there’s a risk of walls and an oak tree being damaged.
So he wants to make a bigger entrance for ease of access for machinery.
While I’m sure he would be well able to manoeuvre a top super car around the corner, it’s a different story when it comes to tractors and machinery.
Limousins lure back their lost leader
The Irish Limousin Cattle Society has found its replacement for Paul Sykes, the previous Limousin secretary, and it’s none other than Paul Sykes.
Confused? You needn’t be. It’s all very simple.
The Mayo man changed his mind about standing down as breed secretary and will continue in his role, The Dealer understands.
Sykes had been Irish Limousin breed secretary for the last 12 years and his departure was seen as a huge loss to the breed in Ireland.
He steers the ship at a busy time. The Limousin premier sale that was due to take place on Monday 26 October has been rescheduled to take place online at 7pm on Wednesday 4 November.
Head to the shed for a hug to soothe the soul
In the midst of another lockdown, I think we all need a hug, but with social distancing getting a cuddle is trickier than it used to be.
Not to be defeated by coronavirus, the Dutch are proposing we start cuddling our cows to “soothe and calm both body and spirit”.
The therapy is called “koe knuffelen”, which translates as ‘cow hugging’ and involves participants resting against cattle for two to three hours. Experts say the warmer body temperature and slower heartbeat makes for a soothing experience helping to release calming oxytocin.
And it is not just the participants who get the benefit - a 2007 study showed it helped cows relax too.
Glanbia and its clarified butter
I see Glanbia’s Truly Grass Fed brand in the US has a new offering – ghee clarified butter.
What is this clarified ghee butter I hear you say?
Well, it’s made from cow’s milk and once the melted butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids, the solids are removed, giving you clarified butter.
The Truly Grass Fed marketing department is – truly – going out of its way to promote it too, with the website stating that it comes from cows who are “living their best lives” on grass.
I’m told Bord Bia’s proposed sustainability platform, under which farmers were expected to jump through environmental and welfare hoops in return for very little promise on beef and sheep prices, is back on the agenda.
Shadowy figures tell me Bord Bia and Teagasc are in talks about a memorandum of understanding between the two. The last time the sustainability programme was floated, farmers reacted angrily at the lack of consultation with them. The idea was dropped like a hot spud by Bord Bia.
Now there’s a new CAP looming that is focused on all things sustainable, green and good.
Teagasc is in need of a cash cow to replace the late and very lucrative Knowledge Transfer Programme. It hasn’t been as lucky as Bord Bia in recent budgets in receiving extra funding.
The more cynical among us would wonder how much the sustainability programme can deliver in cold hard cash for farmers, and also how it could be used to funnel CAP funding towards two semi-State agencies?
Kehoe and Gorman to contest IFA’s biggest ever postal ballot
With the votes in the US all cast, election junkies will soon be developing withdrawal symptoms. Perhaps the IFA contest for who is to succeed Tom Short as South Leinster chair will fill the void a little.
Like the US presidential contest, it’s a two-horse race. Francie Gorman and James Kehoe will go head to head at Zoom hustings.
Gorman received the backing of his native Laois, Kilkenny and Offaly.
Kehoe, the current Wexford chair, also was endorsed by Wicklow and Dublin. With only Kildare and Carlow left to nominate, no other valid candidate was possible.
Postal ballot
The election will, according to IFA national returning officer Martin Stapleton, be the first on such a scale to take place by postal ballot. The executives in six counties – all bar the two men’s home counties – will host online executives from 23 November, with voting to follow.
Top Gear farmer seeks bigger gap for machinery
I see Richard Hammond of Top Gear and The Grand Tour fame has applied for planning permission to relocate the main entrance to his 22ac holding in Herefordshire.
Two current entrances to the farm are too small for agricultural machinery and equipment to get in and he says there’s a risk of walls and an oak tree being damaged.
So he wants to make a bigger entrance for ease of access for machinery.
While I’m sure he would be well able to manoeuvre a top super car around the corner, it’s a different story when it comes to tractors and machinery.
Limousins lure back their lost leader
The Irish Limousin Cattle Society has found its replacement for Paul Sykes, the previous Limousin secretary, and it’s none other than Paul Sykes.
Confused? You needn’t be. It’s all very simple.
The Mayo man changed his mind about standing down as breed secretary and will continue in his role, The Dealer understands.
Sykes had been Irish Limousin breed secretary for the last 12 years and his departure was seen as a huge loss to the breed in Ireland.
He steers the ship at a busy time. The Limousin premier sale that was due to take place on Monday 26 October has been rescheduled to take place online at 7pm on Wednesday 4 November.
Head to the shed for a hug to soothe the soul
In the midst of another lockdown, I think we all need a hug, but with social distancing getting a cuddle is trickier than it used to be.
Not to be defeated by coronavirus, the Dutch are proposing we start cuddling our cows to “soothe and calm both body and spirit”.
The therapy is called “koe knuffelen”, which translates as ‘cow hugging’ and involves participants resting against cattle for two to three hours. Experts say the warmer body temperature and slower heartbeat makes for a soothing experience helping to release calming oxytocin.
And it is not just the participants who get the benefit - a 2007 study showed it helped cows relax too.
Glanbia and its clarified butter
I see Glanbia’s Truly Grass Fed brand in the US has a new offering – ghee clarified butter.
What is this clarified ghee butter I hear you say?
Well, it’s made from cow’s milk and once the melted butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids, the solids are removed, giving you clarified butter.
The Truly Grass Fed marketing department is – truly – going out of its way to promote it too, with the website stating that it comes from cows who are “living their best lives” on grass.
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