Midland Farmer - September 2023

September 2023
Number of students in school
milk scheme decreasing
MIDLAND FARMER
21
Over 90,000 farmers
registered on
National Fertiliser
Database
The number of students participating in the
EU School Milk Scheme has decreased for the
second year in a row by over 7,000 students
compared to the previous year.
The number of pupils that participated in the
scheme for the 2021/2022 school year was
35,782.
A total of 42,998 participated in the 2020/2021
academic year, while in contrast 55,042 students
participated for the 2019/2020 year.
The number of schools that participated for
the 2021/2022 school year, including preschools,
primary and secondary schools, was
1,750.
This was a rise from the previous year, when
533 schools participated.
This reduction in figures may be due to the
Covid-19 pandemic as schools were closed
between January and April 2021.
During this period a home-delivery programme
ran, which provided weekly deliveries
of food parcels containing portions of fruit,
vegetables, milk and cheese directly to homes
or to a designated collection point.
NDC SUPPLYING MILK
The EU School Milk Scheme has operated in
Ireland since 1982, with the objective of “promoting
and encouraging” the consumption of
milk among school children.
Milk is supplied to the schools on a charged
basis by their local participating dairy co-operative.
To pay the cost an annual budget of €250 million
is allocated and a parental contribution
applies. The EU contribution is used to reduce
this parental cost.
The scheme is managed through the National
Dairy Council (NDC).
The NDC said it is “concerned” that many
Irish children are not getting enough calcium
in their diets.
NDC set up ‘Moo Crew’ to address the situation
and increase awareness of the “importance”
of milk in diets. It wanted to show that
milk, yogurt and cheese are part of a “balanced
diet”.
NDC runs web-based lesson plans on the
importance of dairy through this programme
The Department of Agriculture, Food and
the Marine (DAFM), together with the NDC
has began working on a devised model of
implementation to halt the decline and
increase participation.
The model will focus on “enhanced communication,
new accompanying measures and the
reduction of the parental contribution”.
Over 90,000 farmers are registered on the
National Fertiliser Database which has came
into effect last Friday, September 1, the Department
of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
(DAFM) has said.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the
Marine, Charlie McConalogue welcomed the
“fantastic level” of engagement with registration
and urged remaining farmers to sign up.
Any farmer or other professional fertiliser
end user who wishes to purchase fertiliser,
including lime, must be registered as a professional
fertiliser end user with the DAFM.
Farmers, or their agents can register on
agfood.ie. Those farmers involved in the
import of fertiliser, farm-to-farm transfers,
and/or retail sale of fertiliser must also register
as fertiliser economic operators.
Thanking every farmer that has registered
for the National Fertiliser Database, Minister
McConalogue commented: “There has been
phenomenal engagement with the new system
by farmers and their agents which further
demonstrates farmers’ willingness to embrace
positive changes.
“Registration is a very simple process. I
encourage those who have yet to register to do
so as soon as possible to avoid any potential
disruption to their farming operations.”
FERTILISER DATABASE
From last Friday all fertiliser imports into
the state must be notified to the database
within 72 hours of import, and all data on fertiliser
transactions must be recorded by fertiliser
economic operators.
Department officials will be available at the
National Ploughing Championships later this
month to assist with any queries or difficulties
regarding registration or use of the National
Fertiliser Database.
www.johndixonplanthire.ie
JOHN DIXON PLANT HIRE
087 813 1099 / 087 416 1181
Sarsfieldstown, Killucan, Co Westmeath
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GPS Dozers and GPS Diggers
Land reclamation (Bull Dozer work, land
drainage, bulk excavation, site clearance)
Pitch development
Low emission slurry spreading, umbilical/
trail and shoe
Hedgecutting flailing/ sawing and track
machines supplied with mulcher head
Precision chop cut pit silage with various
chop lengths to suit customer requirements
Fusion Baling
Dung spreading