Tag Archives: agriculture

DAIRY farmers across Clare are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst as peak milk production coincides with the predicted spike in the Covid-19 crisis. In recent days, milk suppliers have been warned by Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) that if the Coronavirus causes the closure of processing plants the impact for the sector could be devastating. Responding to the stark warning, Martin McMahon, Clare Chairperson of ICMSA, said the situation was as major cause for concern. “If any of the milk plants are hit by the virus, and the risk is very real, that would present huge problems for farmers at this time of the year,” he said. “All possible precautions must be taken to protect lorry men and the staff at the dairy plants, for the sake of their own health and for the whole sector. If farmers were forced to reduce their milk volumes, the pressure would be huge. All famers, whether they’re in dairy or …

CLARE Marts have announced that they will not be shutting down sales, but they are introducing a number of measures due to the Corona Virus. In a statement it said, “Clare Marts Limited will operate their sales as usual until further notice. The new protocol that will be in place are as follows: “1) Limited access will only be allowed in the sales rings to people who have business to conduct there, and at all times will be restricted to less than 100 people. “2) Clare Marts would ask only people with business at the mart to attend (buyers, sellers and hauliers) during this crisis. 3) Parents are requested to keep children away from the mart at this time due to the current situation.”

POLITICALLY engaged and numerous throughout the county, the votes of farmers and their families play an important role in every election in Clare. The last year has seen widespread disillusionment in farming, memorably expressed by the beef protests. Speaking to farmers at Ennis Mart on Tuesday it was clear that the dissatisfaction has not abated and none of those who spoke to The Clare Champion were praising Fine Gael’s record on agriculture. Many said they will be voting for East Clare farmer Michael McNamara who was a prominent supporter of last year’s protests. Several others made it clear that they wouldn’t countenance giving any preference to the Green Party whose policies they feel are very clearly against farmers’ interests. One West Clare couple said that farmers are just about able to continue as it is. “People will survive, but that’s all they can do. There’s very little investment in farming other than with grant approval and things like that,” said …

NINE different agricultural shows in Clare will receive grants of €5,000 each next year as part of nationwide move that aims to offer financial help to organising committees of agricultural shows. Grants were approved for agricultural shows in Bridgetown, Clarecastle, Corofin, Ennistymon, Kildysart, Kilrush, Mullagh, Newmarket-on-Fergus and Scariff. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has welcomed the €45,000 allocation to the nine Clare Agricultural Show Societies from the Department of Rural and Community Development to help with the financial cost of organising their shows in 2020. Deputy Carey, is the Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Affairs. He said that the money was part of a €600,000 fund being allocated to help 120 local committees meet the financial challenges associated with organising 120 shows around the country during 2020. The investment is being administered through the Irish Shows Association (ISA) and the recipients are all members of that association. “Agricultural shows are a great celebration of all …

THE Clare County Show went ahead last Sunday, in superb weather conditions with temperatures running as high as 25 degrees. The crowd exceeded expectations with up to 3,000 people on the grounds at peak time. “It was an outstanding success and possibly the best show we have had for the past 20 years,” show chairman, Joe Lillis, commented. “Our show jumping figures had 400 entries and the programme finished at 8pm.  Our cattle entries were 60% up on 2018, as were our horse showing entries, while miniature horses and donkey showing were in good supply.  Trade stands and machinery filled one section of the grounds.  Our dog show was very entertaining and entries exceeded 100. The arts, crafts and horticulture sections doubled in entries from last year while  the highlight of our indoor section was the small animal pet farm,” Mr Lillis added. The winner of the Champion Young Horse of the Show (De Valera Cup) was Cyril Stevens, Cranny and …

THE 69th North Clare Show will take place in Corofin on Saturday July 28.  The show will again feature a range of events and competitions including cattle, sheep, donkey, poultry, vegetable and dog show sections. Their will be particular interest in the All-Ireland Pedigree Suckler-Type Heifer Championship Qualifer. There will be a strong core of pedigree limousin cattle classes, with the Champion Limousin of the Show awarded the Michael Shannon Perpetual Memorial Cup.

THE President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Joachim Gauck, was in “God’s wide fields” in Ballyvaughan for the first of a two-stage visit to Clare this week. Mr Gauck, accompanied by his partner Ms Daniela Schadt, was delighted to be visiting the Droney’s 90 hectare Origin Green farm in Ballycahill, near Ballyvaughan and to be surrounded by 200 beef suckler cows and 200 sheep, a vista, he admitted, that brought him back to his childhood in post-war Germany. “For me, it is so good,” Mr Gauck told The Clare Champion. “In my youth, I saw so many cows outside and now, if I go back to my home area in the north of Germany, no cows are outside, sheep are a little bit but the cows are all inside in a shed. “This is a programme that works with the support of the Government and the influence of the European Union to support this kind of agriculture, not the …

“THE worst form of cruelty” was how a local woman described the treatment of three horses which are said to have starved to death in Ballinruan. Its understood that two of the horses she was referring to died some time ago, while the third one died relatively recently. The woman said, “It was shocking, it would have taken them a few months to die and they would have been in agony. They hadn’t had a pick to eat and it’s happening every winter; someone keeps putting the horses in the same place. “They obviously weren’t getting a scrap of hay and they would have had a horrible death. The cold weather probably just finished them off.” She said it has been a big topic of discussion in the area lately. “A lot of people are talking about it and they are disgusted by it.” The woman also said that a foal was one of the dead animals. “One of the …