Tag Archives: IFA

A new national campaign, with a €10,000 reward for “significant information”, has been launched to combat the problem of livestock theft. Jointly organised by Crimestoppers, the Irish Farmers Association and an Garda Síochána, the campaign is calling on members of the public and in particular those in the farming community with information on the theft of cattle and sheep to come forward with information. In Clare alone, 22 livestock were in 2013 and 13 in 2014. Theft of both cattle and sheep is an issue that affects all regions of Ireland, and in one incident during 2014, one farmer had 17 of his 18 calves stolen by thieves. Tim Dalton, chairman, Crimestoppers said, “Crimestoppers provides a fully confidential means for every citizen to report crime, without fear of recrimination. The call is free and the information is given completely anonymously. The service has consistently proved very valuable in eliciting information to assist investigations in both urban and rural Ireland.” IFA …

IFA president, Eddie Downey has paid tribute to Tom Cahill one of the nine central figures in the historic Farmers’ Rights campaign of 1966, who passed away last night. Tom Cahill, from Ballyportry, Corofin, was the last surviving member of the nine farmers who led more than 40,000 farmers in a march to Dublin after which Tom, along with eight other selected representatives, made their way to the Department of Agriculture to meet with the minister. When the minister refused to speak with the group, they staged a sit-in on the steps outside Government Buildings, which lasted 21 days, before the Government backtracked and agreed to discuss the concerns of the farming community. IFA president, Eddie Downey said the legacy of the effort and the hard work by Tom Cahill and his farmer colleagues in 1966 is evident in the continued survival of not just the IFA, but the farming community. Mr Downey said he believed the effort made by …

The IFA, in association with Treemetrics, has launched a new forest assessor service for farm forestry members. At the launch, IFA president, Eddie Downey said  forest assessor was another service that would benefit private forest owners by providing more knowledge about their crop and, ultimately, providing a better opportunity for farmers to realise the full potential for their timber. IFA Farm Forestry chairman, Michael Fleming noted that it utilised the most up-to-date technology to accurately predict the quantities of log products that each tree can produce and their potential value. “Using this technology, members will be provided with a more accurate and independent forest management system, helping to capture more value from the forest resource,” he added. Forest assessor will be rolled out nationally with demonstration events being organised for the coming weeks. For information about how to book this service, details are at www.ifa.ie/sectors/forestry.

Ennis Councillor Mary Howard has called upon farmers and residents living near farming areas to “see their farms through children’s eyes” and take the necessary precautions to ensure all areas are kept safe. “2014 is becoming a very dark year for farm deaths in Ireland,” the Fine Gael councillor said. “Seventeen people have died in farm accidents this year – one more than in the whole year of 2013. The Bank Holiday weekend marked a particular low, with two children dying in farm-related accidents. “I commend the IFA for trying to highlight the dangers of farming, and compliment the association for holding the first National Farm Safety Awareness Day with the Health and Safety Authority.”

CLARE Marts has already sold Ennistymon Mart to discount supermarket, Aldi for a price tag believed to be in the region of €1.5m, despite strong opposition from the local IFA committee and local traders. Members of Ennistymon IFA staged a protest before a Clare Marts Board meeting in Ennis on Tuesday night, but the Clare Champion has learned Clare Marts is proceeding with the controversial deal. Clare Marts would not confirm the identity of the buyer or any of the terms and conditions, which it considers as “commercially sensitive information”. However, it is understood that the mart has been sold to Aldi subject to planning permission, which could take a number of years to secure. Aldi has also declined to comment on the deal. It is also expected that any planning application lodged by Aldi to Clare County Council will be vigorously opposed by some local traders and residents in the North Clare town. Fifteen sales have been held in …

  The recent series of dog attacks on sheep has provoked anger among farmers and there have been calls for pet owners to be more responsible. John Lynskey, chairman of the IFA’s National Sheep Committee, warned that owners who do not have their dog under control at all times must realise they could be held responsible for such an attack “with serious consequences”. He also urged hill walkers with dogs to ensure that they are fully under control at all times, as dogs running wild can terrorise a flock of sheep. He said up to 2.5m lambs will be born on 30,000 sheep farms across the country over the next four months. Sheep flocks are very vulnerable to dog attacks at this critical time, and especially during the night. Mr Lynskey said,”A dog attack on a sheep flock is extremely stressful and can inflict savage injuries, often fatal. Aside from the economic losses, for which dog owners can be held …