Farming
Cattle farmers urged to ‘strike a hard bargain’
CATTLE farmers have been strongly advised this week to ‘strike a hard bargain’ with the meat plants and the agents as supplies begin to tighten in the run-up to the Christmas period.
Heifer and bullock prices have steered steadily up to the €4/kg mark following the IFA’s long running battle with the factories that culminated in last month’s demonstrations outside the meat plants.
Galway IFA Livestock Chairman, Michael Flynn, told the Farming Tribune that all the indications pointed to a strong change in the balance of supply and demand over recent weeks.
“It’s more of a seller’s market now and we are strongly advising all farmers to bargain hard with the meat plants and the agents if they have cattle to sell.
“All the cattle coming off grass have now been sold, so supplies will be tight in the run-up to Christmas and into January as well. Farmers just have to shop around,” said Michael Flynn.
He also said that the weanling trade was very lively over recent weeks, helped by a solid live export trade, while the coming on stream of the second part of the Single Farm Payment was also a help.
IFA National President, Eddie Downey said the Christmas market demand for beef, especially in the main Irish market of the UK, was particularly strong, where prices had reached the equivalent of €4.75/kg for R3 grade steers.
He said with all of the ‘grass cattle’ gone at this stage, farmers selling cattle out of sheds needed to see prices rise, in order to make a margin. A lot of different deals on prices are being done to get cattle, ranging from a base price of €4.00/kg for heifers to an all-in price of €4.10/kg for R grade steers in some outlets.
IFA National Livestock Chairman Henry Burns said the Teagasc headline that beef farm incomes were down 5% in 2014, completely hid the real income crisis in the livestock sector and concealed the fact that the latest income fall comes on top of cuts in the order of 13% to 22% in 2013, when livestock incomes ranged from €9,469 to €15,595 per annum.
He said the stark reality of the situation is that most livestock farmers suffered a price cut ranging from €150 to €200 per head on finished cattle all year and lost money.
THE fact that over 20,000 farmers have applied for inclusion in the new suckler cow scheme is a positive indication for a farming sector that’s considered to be one of the main bedrocks of agriculture in the West of Ireland, according to Galway’s IFA Livestock representative, Micheál Haverty.
He said that since 2018, there had been a 12% to 14% decrease in Irish suckler cow numbers across the county mainly due to the tight margins and the labour intensive nature of in the enterprise.
“The fact that over 20,000 farmers have applied for inclusion in the new SCEP scheme is a step in the right direction. Without a viable suckler cow sector across the country, and especially in the West of Ireland, the viability of the country’s multi-billion euro beef sector would be in doubt,” Micheál Haverty told the Farming Tribune.
He also called for no time lag to follow with the introduction of the new BEEP-S scheme which would be an additional financial supplement to the SCEP payments. “The Minister [Charlie McConalogue] has committed to introducing the new BEEP-S scheme as quickly as possible – we are expecting confirmation of this over the next week or two,” said Micheál Haverty.
Galway tops the county ‘league table’ in terms of SCEP (Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme) applications (which closed on May 22 last) with 2,428 farmers from the county applying, followed by Mayo on 1,886, Clare on 1,791, Cork (1,537), Roscommon (1,196), Donegal (1,067) and Kerry (1,050).
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Galway farmer Blátnaid Gallagher knows first-hand how open space and being around animals can help someone’s sense of well-being.
The former member of the Defence Forces recalls how, as a young girl growing up in Renmore, Galway City, regular visits to her uncle’s farm offered its own kind of therapy.
“Nothing compared to spending time on the farm,” said Blátnaid. “Breathing in the fresh air after being let loose in the fields, being surrounded by animals . . . and getting up to all kinds of divilment,” she laughed.
From an early age, Blátnaid appreciated the land and formed a lasting connection to nature.
Blátnaid and her husband Niall inherited her uncle PJ Murray’s 100-acre farm in 2016.
Nestled in the rolling hills of Killoran, Co Galway, near the historical village of Aughrim in East Galway, Murray Meadows is a family-run farm transitioning to organic farming – home to geese, hens, ponies, donkeys and Blátnaid’s flock of pedigree Galway sheep, producing organic lamb and Galway wool.
Since last year, Blátnaid and Niall have been diversifying into social farming – proving a fruitful collaboration with Social Farming Ireland (SFI).
Social farming is a service delivered by farmers as an innovative use of agriculture to promote therapy, rehabilitation, social inclusion, education and social services in rural areas.
The service allows people with challenges to engage in everyday activities on ordinary working farms in their local community.
Blátnaid explained that social farming provides a structure around a working day that people may not have had the chance to experience elsewhere.
“Opening up the farm was a no-brainer,” said Blátnaid. “On a farm, you get to connect with nature and animals. It’s a wonderful place to be.
“I describe it as the best prescription to increase self-esteem and improve health and well-being.”
An open day on Blátnaid’s farm, held earlier this week, offered an opportunity to showcase what social farming is all about.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
A SUBSTANTIAL holding of land in east Galway – described as one of the finest to come to the market in recent years – has been sold after auction for almost €12,200 an acre.
The holding, extending to almost 107 acres at Carrownafinnoge, Fahy, Eyrecourt, went under the hammer but actually wasn’t sold in the auction room.
However, following behind the scenes negotiations involving auctioneer Niamh Madden of Sherry FitzGerald Madden in Loughrea and two interested parties, the guide price of €1.3 million was eventually achieved.
The main block of just over 101 acres was purchased by purchased by former rugby player and successful dairy farmer Shane Morkham who had been leasing the land for years.
The smaller portion of 5.3 acres, just a couple of hundred yards away, was acquired by another local dairy farmer following the intense negotiations.
Auctioneer Niamh Madden told Farming Tribune that there was always good demand for quality agricultural land and she described this holding as “one of the finest” in east Galway.
“In the lead-up to the auction, we had a considerable number of inquiries but the two individuals who acquired the property know it well having grazed the lands for years.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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