Farming
More fears are aired over ABP monopoly
THE Minister for Agriculture has moved to allay concerns raised by Galway TD Noel Grealish over the possible effect on prices paid to farmers in the wake of a deal that will see ABP Food Group increase its share of the market.
Minister Simon Coveney said that the recent deal, which will see the Larry Goodman-chaired ABP take a 50% stake in Slaney Foods, would be subject to the scrutiny of competition law.
Deputy Grealish, an Independent TD for Galway West, had tabled a Parliamentary Question asking the Minister if he envisaged any problem with one company gaining control of the meat industry and controlling the price paid to farmers.
He said the deal “also gives the company greater control of the rendering industry and puts more pressure on the price being paid to farmers, which is very low at the moment.”
In his reply, Minister Coveney said that the State, through the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, had an existing and well established infrastructure for oversight of competition matters and for dealing with allegations of anti-competitive practices or abuse of a dominant position.
“I understand that acquisitions or mergers of organisations with turnover exceeding certain statutory thresholds are required to be notified to that body, which conducts an assessment to determine whether there will be any ‘substantial lessening of competition’.
“The acquisition referred to by the deputy will be subject to the relevant statutory requirements under competition law,” the Minister added.
Farming organisations, including the IFA and the ICSA, have expressed their concern over the move by ABP to take a 50% shareholding in Slaney Foods and its effect on the livelihoods of cattle and sheep farmers.
The IFA’s National Livestock Chairman, Henry Burns, said: “Competition in the beef and lamb trade is always a contentious issue between farmers and factories. Farmers are rightly concerned with the over dominance of a number of major players at both processing and retail level.”
PROPOSALS put forward by the Dept. of Agriculture to push back payment dates for a range of agricultural support schemes have been greeted ‘with dismay’ by the IFA and a Galway TD.
East Galway Independent TD, Sean Canney, said it was ‘unbelievable’ at a time of such increased costs for farmers that the Dept. were proposing to ‘push back’ payment dates.
The proposals came to light at last week’s meeting of the Farmers’ Charter when farm representatives were told by the Dept. that the new CAP would require a revision of the charter.
“From my understanding of what was outlined at the Farmers’ Charter, the payment dates for some of the schemes could be put back by up to a month,” said Deputy Canney.
He added that one of the proposals related to delaying the ANC (Areas of Natural Constraint) by four weeks to mid-October was ‘an insult to farmers’ who depended heavily on this money being paid in September.
“Another proposal is to delay the BISS (Basic Income Support for Sustainability) payment by one week which will also lead to unnecessary hardship for farmers.
“Every week’s delay is adding pressure on the farming sector and the Department need to get their act together and stop playing games with farmers’ money. I ask the Minister to intercede and stop this nonsense,” said Deputy Canney.
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.
FARMERS have been strongly advised this week to diligently check out all safety, insurance and liability issues before embarking on construction projects on their yards and farms.
The issue has been brought into focus over recent weeks with two men appearing in court in Co. Clare following a fatal farm accident in January, 2021.
The two men – of them the contractor and the other a farmer – have been charged with breaches of the Health and Safety Act, following the death of a young man at Kilkee.
He died while a new slatted tank was being excavated. During this work, ‘a pre-existing wall’, fell on top of him – the victim had only been married 12-months previously.
Both the farmer and contractor face charges in relation to the unsafe excavation of the site with allegedly no adequate measures in place to prevent the collapse of the sides of the site being excavated.
Galway IFA Rural Development Chair, Peter Gohery, said that it was a terribly sad case where a young person had lost his life – he advised farmers to prioritise issues such as safety and insurance cover when embarking on any construction project.
“With any construction project on farms, the farmer is regarded as the client in terms of the HSA (Health and Safety Authority) and the farmer is legally obliged to employ competent designers and contractors to carry out the work,” said Peter Gohery.
He also pointed that it was specifically stated in the HSA guidelines that ‘clients’ needed to appoint – in writing – a Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) as required.
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.
THE role of marts as a social hub for many farmers – and especially for those in the older age categories – is currently being examined in a project organised by the University of Galway (UG).
The Rural Studies Centre of UG has teamed up with Mountbellew Mart to launch a pilot initiative which will run through this month and April.
Entitled Farmers’ Yards, the sales’ days at Mountbellew Mart for the next six weeks or so will provide farmers with the opportunity to meet and talk in a ‘familiar and friendly’ mart setting.
The project is funded by UG’s Illuminate Programme with the support of St. Jarlath’s Credit Union and aims to highlight the ‘social facility’ that a local mart provides for the farming community.
According to the study organisers the mart setting and canteen ‘provides a vital social outlet for the local farming community and particularly for those who have few other social outlets and who may live alone.
Project Leader, Dr. Shane Conway of University of Galway, said that many farmers relied on their weekly visit to the mart to meet up with friends, exchange ideas and to catch up on local news.
He added that Mountbellew Mart’s existing position and reputation as a focal point of activity within the heart of the rural community made it an ideal location for the project.
“The well-established Men’s Sheds movement showcases the benefits of such a peer group at local level.
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.
Judge to begin her address to the jury tomorrow in Portumna murder trial
Planning application to be lodged in May for Community Nursing Unit in Clifden
Mental Health event taking place tomorrow in Tuam
City council closing Salthill car parks from 5pm due to expected high tides
Closing speeches underway in Portumna murder trial
City seeks to annex Oranmore, Claregalway, Moycullen and Barna in boundary extension
Man awarded €142,000 over unprovoked attack in toilet of County Galway pub
Tech consultants open Galway hub
Woman convicted of harassing social media guru
HSE accused of ‘environmental sabotage’ after felling 200 trees in Merlin Woods
