Midland Farmer - Spring 2024

MIDLAND
FREE
FARMER
SPRING 2024
A TOPIC NEWSPAPERS PRODUCTION

2 MIDLAND FARMER
Spring 2024
Reactors,
restrictions
and costs
all rise in
2023
Virtually all key figures
under the
bovine TB Eradication
Programme saw
increases in 2023,
with the number of
reactors and herd
restrictions seeing
notable increases on
2022.
The amount of money
spent by the state on the
programme also increased
– by about €17 million
– in the same period,
while the herd incidence
rate also went up, reaching
almost 5% by the close
of 2023.
New data released publicly
by the Department of
Agriculture, Food and the
Marine shows that, in the
12-month period from
January 1, 2023, to December
31, 2023, 28,868 TB test
reactions were detected in
cattle, compared to 23,337
in the same 12-month
period of 2022.
On the same time period
comparison, 2023 saw
5,078 herds locked up with
TB, compared to 4,492 in
2022.
The herd incidence rate
as of December 31 last
was 4.89%. This is the
highest herd incidence
rate at the close of a year
since before 2010 (the Central
Statistics Office does
not provide data from
before that year).
Food and live animal exports
worth over €14.5bn in 2023
The value of Irish food
and live animals exports
in 2023 stood at over €14.5
billion, according to the
Central Statistics Office
(CSO).
This marks a slight drop
of 1.2% when compared to
the 2022 figure of €14.76
billion.
The value of meat and
meat preparation exports
dropped from €4.8 billion
to €4.6 billion.
Exports of dairy products
and birds’ eggs were
worth just over €4 billion,
down from €4.3 billion in
the previous year.
The data shows that
value of cereal and cereal
preparation exports increased
from €705 million to
€769 million, while live
animal exports grew in
value from €605 million in
2022 to €782 million last
year.
Analysis by the national
statistical office also highlights
the key destinations
for food and live animal
exports from Ireland.
Last year, exports of food
and live animals to Britain
were worth €3.9 billion
(2022: €3.87 billion), while
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exports rose from €1.69 billion
to €1.75 billion.
Over €5.1 billion worth of
food and live animals was
exported to other EU countries
(down from €5.4 billion
in 2022), while the
exports to the US stood at
€774 million.
CHINA
China was the destination
for €566 million worth
of exports of food and live
animals in 2023 and there
was also more than €2.3
billion of similar exports
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to “the rest of world”
(2022: €2.5 billion).
IMPORTS
The CSO said that
imports of food and live
animals to Ireland
increased in value last
year to just over €10 billion
and must be completed by 31st December 2024
(2022: €9.5 billion).
There was a slight
increase in the value of
imports of meat and meat
preparations to €1.17 billion
while the value of
dairy products and birds’
eggs imports dropped by
€99 million to just over €1
billion.
Imports of cereal and
cereal preparation were
up slightly to €1.7 billion,
while imports of vegetables
and fruit rose by €237
million to €1.68 billion.
In 2023, imports of food
and live animals from
Britain rose in value from
€2.2 billion to €2.4 billion,
while for Northern Ireland
such imports dropped
in value by around €40
million to €1.3 billion.
Over €4.1 billion worth of
food and live animals was
exported to other EU countries
(up from €3.6 billion
in 2022), while the exports
to the US stood at €422 million.
Ireland imported food
and live animals worth
€118 million from China,
and such imports from
“the rest of world” were
valued at €1.57 billion.
Commenting on the
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Goods Exports and
Imports December 2023
report, Ciarán Counihan,
statistician in the CSO
international trade in
goods division, said:
“In 2023, Ireland’s
exports of goods were €197
billion, a decrease of more
than €11 billion when compared
with 2022. Exports
in 2023 were still more
than €30 billion higher
than in 2021.
“Imports of goods in 2023
were more than €139 billion,
€1.5 billion lower
than the 2022 level, but
almost €36 billion higher
than in 2021.
“The unadjusted exports
for December 2023 were
valued at €13.9 billion, a
decrease of €1.4 billion on
December 2022. Seasonally
adjusted exports were
€15.7 billion in December
2023.
“In December 2023, unadjusted
imports were valued
at almost €12 billion.
When seasonally adjusted,
imports of goods fell by
€1.7 billion when compared
with November
2023.”
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Spring 2024
Nitrates decision will impact
generational renewal – Macra
Young farmers view time,
data and science as critical
elements to Ireland’s
nitrates derogation and
want greater integration
with generational
renewal policy, according
to Macra.
These elements were outlined
at a Joint Oireachtas
Committee hearing on the
nitrates derogation
attended by a Macra delegation
of president, Elaine
Houlihan; agricultural
affairs chair, Dr. Liam Hanrahan;
and Dr. Maria Snell,
senior research and policy
executive.
Commenting following
the meeting, Houlihan said:
“The upcoming discussions
and decisions around
nitrates and water quality
by the Departments of
Agriculture and Environment,
and ultimately the
EU’s decision around Ireland
nitrates derogation,
will have long-term implications
for young farmer
generational renewal.
“We need far more consideration
for generational
renewal in nitrates and
water quality policy.
“Young farmers are ultimately
the frontline environmentalists
and are
already committed to progressive
environmental
stewardship on water quality.”
“These same young farmers
are now met with potentially
economically
devastating consequences
surrounding the nitrates
derogation decisions,”
Houlihan added.
She has argued that the
point needs to be made that
continuous increases in
minimum standards for
environmental protection
is not the most effective
way to encourage best practices.
“Instead of potentially
driving young farmers off
the land with reductionist
strategies, we need to
encourage more young
trained farmers into our
industry and allow them to
contribute to future environmental
stewardship,”
she stated.
ICMSA has represented farm families from Offaly and
all over the Midlands at local, national, and European
level with diligence and an emphasis on finding
solutions to their problems that has been our
trademark for over 70 years.
We’re the specialist family farm organisation and have
an unrivalled record of sound analysis and a focus on
farm incomes.
We are organised by - and work for – farmers.
And only farmers.
Chairperson of Offaly ICMSA: Michael Guinan, Rahan, 086-8766851
Secretary of Offaly ICMSA: Pat O’Brien, Corndarragh, 087-2714091
Local Member Relations Officer: Alan Armstrong, Kinnity, 087-4795185
ICMSA Head Office: John Feely House, Dublin Road, Limerick
(Tel) 061-314677, or info@icmsa.ie
Please also look at our website at www.icmsa.ie
Liam Hanrahan added:
“we need to follow the science
and measures must be
given the appropriate timeframe
to have an impact on
water quality with lag
times between change of
practice on farm and water
quality improvement being
properly acknowledged and
taken into account.
“The need for more specific
farm appropriate data
to evidence the effectiveness
of the on-farm measures
and capture the mitigation
currently in place
would help complement the
Teagasc Agricultural
Catchments Programme
and evidence the positive
impact of the introduction
of changes in various farming
practices on water quality.
“This is a critical component
as it is this evidence
which will impact on Irelands
derogation,” he
added.
The chair emphasised
that Macra believes in a science-based
approach to the
nitrates derogation backed
up by advisory and on-farm
programmes such as Agricultural
Sustainability
Support and Advisory Programme
(ASSAP) to deliver
on behavioural change to
improve water quality.
Concluding, the Macra
president said: “To deliver
positive environmental outcomes
for water quality
into the future, the policy
environment needs to be
mindful of encouraging
and supporting young
trained farmers to enter
farming and bring with
them new approaches and
technologies to benefit the
environment.”
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MIDLAND FARMER
3
Aldi meat price
decreases
described as
‘unrealistic’
The Irish Cattle and
Sheep Farmers’
Association (ICSA)
has hit out at supermarket
chain, Aldi
for claiming that its
latest round of meat
price cuts will not
impact on the prices
paid to any of its
suppliers.
ICSA Beef chair John
Cleary said: “This is a
ludicrous claim. Aldi’s
assertion that their price
cuts will not affect their
suppliers is simply unacceptable
and out of touch
with the reality faced by
Irish farmers.
“It is our assertion that
cutting the prices of Irish
beef and lamb directly
undermines the efforts
and livelihoods of Irish
cattle and sheep farmers,”
he said.
Cleary made the comments
following Aldi’s
announcement this week
that it would be reducing
prices on a range of products,
including Irish beef
and lamb.
The ICSA chair continued:
“Our beef and lamb
producers are producing
top-quality food to
extremely exacting standards
and they are doing
so under serious financial
pressures.
“In most instances
farmers are struggling
just to meet the bare minimum
costs of production.
“It is incredulous to
suggest that slashing
prices on products that
are already undervalued
would not have a detrimental
impact on suppliers,”
he said.
The ICSA has claimed
that Aldi’s actions will
“almost certainly” provoke
a round of price cutting
by other retailers on
key farm products and
this “will all feed back
into downward pressure”
on prices paid to producers.
Cleary continued:
“Quite simply, at a time
when production costs
have skyrocketed, this
move by Aldi only serves
to diminish the value of
these products further by
perpetuating unrealistic
expectations regarding
how low prices can plummet.
“There can be no doubt
that the downward pressure
on these prices will
inevitably trickle down
the food chain and will
ultimately burden beef
and lamb farmers who
have always had the least
bargaining power.”
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4 MIDLAND FARMER
Spring 2024
DAFM now accepting BISS applications for 2024 Young Offaly
The Department of Agriculture,
Food and the Marine (DAFM) has
today opened the application
process for the 2024 Basic Income
Support for Sustainability
(BISS).
The department said that it is
also now accepting applications for
Complementary Redistributive
Income Support for Sustainability
(CRISS), Eco-Schemes and the
other related schemes. The closing
date for BISS applications in 2024 is
Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Under the new Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP), the Basic Payment
Scheme (BPS) has been
replaced by the BISS. According to
the department, the new scheme is
“designed to provide a direct
income support to Irish farmers to
underpin their continued sustainability
and viability”.
The maximum payment that will
be granted to any one farmer under
the BISS, in any one scheme year is
capped at an effective rate of
€66,000. No payment will be made
under the BISS where the amount
is less than €100.
DAFM said that farmers will
receive a BISS information pack in
the post over the coming days. The
pack contains a Health and Safety
Authority (HSA) leaflet along with
a BISS help sheet, an Area Monitoring
System (AMS) leaflet, maps,
cover letter and a statement of
lands.
“This information will assist
farmers and their advisors to make
their online application,” the
department said.
The department has urged farmers
and advisors “to avail of the
early opening of the application
process now rather than waiting
until nearer the closing date”.
Farmers can apply for all elements
of direct payments (BISS,
Eco-Schemes, Complementary
Income Support for Young Farmers,
Protein Aid, National Reserve,
transferring of entitlements)
online.
According to DAFM, this helps to
ensure that it can “process all
applications under these schemes
as efficiently as possible”.
Farmers are being reminded to
check that they have correctly
applied for the Areas of Natural
Constraints (ANC) and Eco-
Scheme, if applicable.
The department said that annual
payment claims for the Straw
Incorporation Measure (SIM),
Agri-Climate Rural Environment
Scheme (ACRES) and the Organic
Farming Scheme (OFS) can also be
made online.
In the case of ACRES Tranche 2
applicants, access to the BISS application
system will be made available
on a gradual basis over the
coming weeks, as approvals issue
and as the required updates to mapping
systems are made.
Farmers who want to contact the
department in relation to online
application they can do so by calling
049 4368288 in relation to
queries on registering for
www.agfood.ie – for example
queries on lost passwords, how to
register etc.
057 8674422 in relation to queries
on completing the BISS application
once registered on www.agfood.ie
or to request a paper copy of the
terms and conditions.
farming student
wins 2023 John
Feely Scholarship
Offaly farming student, Michael Tully, receiving a
John Feely Foundation Scholarship cheque for
€1500 from ICMSA President, Denis Drennan, in
the specialist dairy organisation’s Head Office in
Limerick earlier this month. Accompanying Eoin
to the presentation was his father, Joe.
A young man from
Fivealley, Birr, has
been awarded one of
the country’s most
prestigious farm
scholarships.
Michael Tully was
one of the four recipients
of the 2023 John
Feely Foundation
Scholarships hosted at
their Limerick head
office by ICMSA and
the Association’s President,
Denis Drennan.
Mr Drennan said the
standard of the applicants
overall was very
encouraging and that of
the four individuals
concerned was outstanding.
“The standard
we’re seeing in the
young dairy farmers
coming through bodes
well for the sector:
they’re technically
very strong and environmentally
aware,
they’re also committed
to building on the standards
already achieved.
ICMSA is delighted to
be associated with the
John Feely Scholarship
programme and we’ll
be getting out the
details for the 2024
awards programme in
due course and we’d
welcome applications
from the dairy families
of Offaly and all over
our Midlands membership
base,” he said.
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Spring 2024
Ireland ranks 8 out of 14 EU
countries for sustainable progress
Ireland has ranked in
eighth place out of 14 comparable
EU countries in
this year’s Sustainable
Progress Index report
released last Tuesday, February
20 by Social Justice
Ireland.
The report entitled ‘Measuring
Progress: Sustainable
Progress Index 2024’ ranked
14 comparable EU countries
based on their delivery of
the UN’s Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
Sweden ranked the highest
for sustainable progress
index ratings, followed by
Denmark; Netherlands; Finland;
Austria; Germany;
Luxembourg; Ireland; Belgium;
France; Portugal;
Italy; Spain; and Greece. The
report looked at 17 SDGs,
with 83 indicators overall
and covered the social, economic
and environmental
aspects of sustainability
reflected in Agenda 2030.
Ireland ranked at number
nine out of the 14 countries
in the economy section. On
the social index, Ireland is in
the middle of the ranking, in
7th place.
Ireland ranked 11th on the
environment index, according
to the report.
The score has improved on
some environmental SDGs,
such as on SDG 11 ‘sustainable
cities and communities’.
However, “poor performance”
can be seen on goals
relating to water quality,
affordable and clean energy,
responsible production and
consumption, and climate
change, according to the
report.
Ireland ranked 11th for
clean water and sanitation;
14th for affordable and clean
energy; second for sustainable
cities and communities;
10th for responsible consumption
and production;
ninth for climate action;
eight for life below water;
and seventh for life on land.
Research and policy analyst
with Social Justice Ireland,
Michelle Murphy said:
“At the midpoint of the
implementation of the 2030
agenda, a reality check
reveals significant challenges
are still evident in
meeting some of the environment
goals.
“Ireland is still seriously
underperforming in areas
such as affordable energy,
clean water, innovation and
infrastructure, gender
equality, and sustainable
agriculture.
“This is dragging our overall
ranking down even
though we are performing
well in some areas. We are
failing to balance core essentials
such as economic and
social progress, sustaining
the planet’s environment
and resources and combatting
climate change.” .
MIDLAND FARMER
9% increase in people
working in agriculture
The number of people
employed in the
agriculture, forestry
and fishing sector
increased by around
9% in the fourth
quarter (Q4) of 2023
when compared to
the same period in
the previous year.
That is according to
the latest Labour
Force Survey published
last Thursday,
February 22 by the
Central Statistics
Office (CSO).
The figures show
that 112,900 people
were employed in the
sector in Q4 2023
which is up by 9,300
year-on-year.However,
it is down from the
114,700 working in the
sector in the previous
quarter.
Agriculture,
forestry and fishing
was among the economic
sectors that
saw the largest percentage
increase yearon-year
in people
employed. The CSO
data shows that 97,500
males aged between
15 and 89 years were
employed in the agriculture,
forestry and
fishing sector in Q4
2023.
This is up from
86,000 in the corresponding
quarter in
2022, but is down
slightly on Q3 2023
when 97,300 males
were working in the
sector. 15,400 females
were working in agriculture,
forestry and
fishing in Q4 2023,
which is down by
over 2,000 when compared
with the same
period in the previous
year (17,600).
The southwest was
the region with the
highest number of
people employed in
agriculture, forestry
and fishing at 24,500.
This was followed by
the border region
(19,200), the southeast
(16,900) and the west
(15,000).
Overall, the
CSO
data
shows
that the
number of
people aged 15-89
years in
employment
stood at
2,706,400 in
Q4 2023. This
marks an
increase of
5
3.4% or 89,600 more
people in work when
compared to 12
months earlier.
The employment
rate for people aged
15-64 years was 74%
in Q4 2023. There
were 117,700 unemployed
people aged 15-
74 years in the period,
giving an unemployment
rate of 4.2%, up
from 4.1% in Q4 2022.
The unemployment
rate among those
aged 15-24 years (the
youth unemployment
rate) was 9.4% in Q4
2023, up from 9.1% in
Q4 2022. There were
29,500 people in longterm
unemployment
(unemployed for 12
months or longer) in
Q4 2023 . This was a
decrease of 4,900
people from Q4
2022.

6 MIDLAND FARMER
Spring 2024
DAFM: Over 50,000t
of organic feed
needed next winter
Government accused of lack of
support towards dairy sector
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture,
Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett
announced last Tuesday, February 20 that
over 50,000 tonnes of organic feed is needed to
meet requirements for next winter 2024/2025.
The minister made the announcement on the
back of the results of an organic feed survey
that indicates “growing demand” for organic
feed of all types.
A total of 912 organic farmers participated in
the survey, which is approximately 25% participation
rate among the cohort of farmers in
organics before the 2024 intake.
Based on the replies, it is estimated that overall
demand for concentrates will be in the region
of 33,000 tonnes.
Demand could be in the region of 20,000 tonnes
for straights, 6,000 tonnes for protein crops (such
as a pea/barley mix), and for 50,000 bales of fodder.
Minister Hackett said: “Organics and tillage
have been highlighted in FoodVision as an
opportunity for farmers.
“These results show the growing demand for
organic feed and the opportunity to increase the
area of organic tillage in Ireland. There is an
opportunity for an organic Irish mill as the sector
continues to grow.”
The survey took place against the background
of a significant increase in organic farmer numbers
and area over the past couple of years.
Farmer numbers doubled to 4,000 in 2023, with
another 1,000 farmers joining the Organic Farming
Scheme in 2024.
Organic land will reach 5% of overall agricultural
area in 2024, and is well on target to
achieve 10% by 2030, as set out in Ireland’s Climate
Action Plan.
The chair of the Irish
Farmers’ Association
(IFA) Dairy Committee
has accused the government
of a lack of support
for the dairy sector.
Stephen Arthur said that
farmers with herds of
between 40-60 cows are
under pressure to comply
with regulations coming
from the European Union,
particularly around nitrates
and water quality.
“We have a department of
agriculture that seems to
be willing to carry out the
instructions of European
policy.
“They seem to be a pro-
European policy department
and they don’t
understand the consequences
of these policies
inside the farm gate.
“You take a guy there
with 60 cows and he has
everything done, everything
proper. He has to
gather up maybe 10, 12 or 14
acres to keep his cows, to
keep where he is, and he
has to pay €330-400/ac for it,
just to hold onto what he
has,” he told farming website
Agriland.
Arthur said that the dairy
farm is the “main fabric of
rural Ireland” but it is
being “obliterated” by government
policy.
“Teagasc has shown that
reducing the stocking rate
from 250kg [N per ha] to
220kg will have very little,
if any, impact on water
quality. Yet it has a massive
impact on farm incomes,
especially the smaller
farms,” Arthur added.
He also said that farmers
are annoyed about the environmental
impact of a possible
25% increase in
passenger numbers at
Dublin Airport which is
currently being considered
by council planners.
“Farmers are quite
aggrieved over this. They
feel that the dairy cow is
paying for everything.
“They’re paying for the
expansion of the cap in
Dublin Airport, they’re
also paying for the rectifying
of water quality and
getting to the [emissions]
levels for greenhouse gases
(GHGs),” he said.
The IFA chair said that
dairy farmers should be
able to avail of grants of
70% under the Targeted
Agriculture Modernisation
Schemes (TAMS) for
enhanced slurry storage
facilities.
“Rather than making
more regulations to make
more people non-compliant,
let’s do a system to get
everybody compliant, get
the capacity built up where
we can manage the nutrients
on the farms,” he said.
In order for farmers to
keep calves on farms
longer, Arthur said they
should be allowed to claim
VAT back on calf feeders
and drafting units, while
farmers rearing calves
should be paid €100/animal.
He added that carbon
taxes should be used to
incentivise the early
slaughter of cattle.
Arthur said that 2022 was
a particularly successful
year in Irish dairy farming
with an average income of
over €150,000. However,
since then milk prices have
tumbled from record highs
against the backdrop of
volatile global markets.
“That’s my fear that we
had one really good year
and based on one year’s
economics we are going to
devise the policy of dairy
farming going forward in
the future. I think that’s
wrong.
“Look at this year, we’ve
farmers there with big cash
flow issues, income is way
down,” Arthur said.
“Farmers have €1.2 billion
euro invested and borrowed
on their farms,
interest rates are gone
through the roof. They’re
constantly spending just to
hold on to where they are.
“It’s frustrating for any
farmer that’s out there. The
two kinds of phone calls
we’re getting is the guy
who cannot get the land to
rent because he can’t compete
in the market and the
other guy who just wants to
get out,” he added.
DAIRY EXIT SCHEME
The IFA Dairy chair said
there is a “strong appetite”
among farmers for a dairy
reduction or exit scheme.
However, he believes that
Minister for Agriculture
Charlie McConalogue may
not bring such a measure
forward.
“Why would he bring in a
scheme when he’s taking
the cows out for nothing,
his policies are taking the
cows out for nothing. Why
would you put money into a
scheme when you have a
tool, a blunt object called
the nitrates directive?
“The dairy milk cheque
has been so important to
small rural communities
the length and breadth of
the country, European policy
is just slowly eroding
that,” Arthur explained.
“The policies that they
are bringing in, it’s just
destroying the rural communities
of milking cows,
of family farms.
“We’ve a [farmer] age profile
heading for 60 years of
age. In five or six years’
time I can see lots of dairy
farmers gone out of business.
They don’t want to be
there, they’re tired of milking
cows and want to get
out,” he added.
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Martry, Kells, Co. Meath
Phone: 087 263099
046 9029890
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Mullingar, Co Westmeath
info@stephenlynn.ie
www.stephenlynn.ie
044 9333772 • 044 9345452
Fully insured. VAT registered.
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T: 086 803 4395 • E: finnan.john@live.com

Spring 2024
MIDLAND FARMER
ICBF improving genotyping programme after farmer concerns
The Irish Cattle Breeding
Federation (ICBF)
has said that it is making
a number of
improvements to the
National Genotyping
Programme (NGP) in
response to concerns
raised by farmers.
The NGP is a collaborative
initiative enabling
Ireland to take the first
step in achieving a fully
genotyped national herd.
The programme, administered
by the Irish Cattle
Breeding Federation
(ICBF), is based on a costsharing
model between
the Department of Agriculture,
Food and the
Marine (DAFM), the beef
and dairy industry and
participating farmers.
The first year of the fiveyear
programme (2023),
with a budget of €23 million,
is being funded
entirely through the
Brexit Adjustment
Reserve (BAR) fund.
GENOTYPING
PROGRAMME
In a statement issued
last Tuesday, February 20,
ICBF said that over
127,000 passports have
been issued to date under
the programme, which is
now in its eighth week. It
said that the current average
length of time that a
sample spends in the laboratory
is 4.5 days. 98% of
calf samples are spending
less than 7 days in the lab.
“The 2% that are taking
longer than 7 days are
understandably causing
some frustration among
farmers,” it added.
ICBF said that over
87,000 calf samples under
the NGP were received
into the laboratory last
week, with 20,000 samples
received in the post today
alone.
The average turnaround
time from birth to passport
being issued was 13.1
days, it said.
To date, ICBF said that
over 230,000 calf samples
received in the laboratory,
with 151,246 calves samples
genotyped. The latest
data shows that 1.58% of
samples received to date
have been deemed as
unsuitable or empty.
In response to concerns,
ICBF said that it will
begin implementing a
number of improvements
to the programme, including
automatically issuing
a calf’s passport when the
sample hits day 10 in the
lab. Once this happens,
the farmer should receive
the passport in the post in
the coming days. The
genotype result will follow
thereafter.
“This should relieve any
concerns about moving
animals in a timely manner,”
ICBF said.
In the event that a sample
is identified as unsuitable
or empty, ICBF said
that a passport will be
issued automatically
The farmer will be
required to follow up with
their tag company to
order a new DNA button
tag to resample the calf
for its genomic evaluation.
ICBF noted that
some farmers have
expressed concerns
around receiving passports
on different days,
despite sending all samples
together.
“While this is a normal
occurrence, we are
endeavouring to reduce
the incidence. Please rest
assured that samples are
being processed as
quickly and efficiently as
possible,” it said.
DELAYS
Meanwhile, Fine Gael
Senator Tim Lombard has
said that he has been contacted
by around a dozen
farmers in the NGP who
are concerned the amount
of time it is taking passports
to come back to
them.
“Traditionally, when
they [farmers] sent on the
application form over the
years, they’d get it back in
three or four days. Talking
to people now at the
moment, you’re looking at
a scenario that it could be
anything up to two,
maybe even three weeks
in some locations.
“One of the stories I
heard last night was an
individual with a male
calf who was waiting 21
days for the passport to
come back and the genotyping
came back as
inconclusive and he has
to go through the entire
process again.
“He was hoping to move
that calf off to the mart
and now he is in a scenario
that he is kind of
stuck in limbo in many
ways,” Lombard said.
The Cork-based senator
said that it was important
to ensure the system is
7
streamlined and there is
adequate capacity in laboratories
to carry out testing
so farmers have the
ability to trade calves. He
noted that farmers have
42 days to move calves off
farm, otherwise they are
required to carry out a
bovine tuberculosis (bTB)
test which would involve
an additional cost.
“That’s probably one of
the big concerns that
farmers have at the
moment to make sure
they gets passports back
in a suitable period of
time and then move that
animal on,” he said.
“We’re going to see the
peak in calves probably
the next 10 days. A large
volume of samples are
going to be tested.
“We need to make sure
that the capacity is in labs
to make sure farmers get
the passports back in
time,” Lombard added.
ICBF
In his role as vice-chair
of the Joint Oireachtas
Committee on Agriculture,
Food and the
Marine, Senator Lombard
said that he is seeking
clarity on the current situation.
The senator, who fully
supports the National
Genotyping Programme,
has asked the committee
to write to the ICBF to get
an update on this issue.
“I’m hoping now that
the committee will agree
to that proposal which
would hopefully be very
beneficial because farmers
need information.
“This is a really important
scheme. This is to
make sure that Ireland is
going to be one of the drivers
when it comes to
genetics in the entire
world but its about making
sure farmer get information
regarding this
issue,” he said.
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8 MIDLAND FARMER
Spring 2024
GDT price
index
average
down 24%
The average Global
Dairy Trade (GDT)
price index across
2023 decreased by
24% compared to
2022, dipping to a
five-year low of 850
in August.
The dairy commodity
trading company’s
annual report published
last Thursday, 22 February
shows that $2.4 billion
was traded on GDT
platforms in 2023.
The main milk powders,
whole milk powder
(WMP) and skim milk
powder (SMP) accounted
for 80% of the quantity
traded. Last year, GDT
trading events recorded
an average clearance rate
of 91%. In 2023, GDT
events facilitated the
trade of 708,997MT of
products from seven sellers,
across three supply
regions: Europe, Oceania,
and the US.
In total, there were 432
bidders from 70 countries
who took part in trading
events with 515,018 lots
being traded. The report
shows that the 12-month
average prices for SMP
and WMP decreased by
29% and 21% across 2023
respectively when compared
with the previous
year.
SMP dropped to a fouryear
low in September
and WMP fell to an eightyear
low in August.
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Push for more ambitious EU
food waste reduction targets
MEPs on the European
Parliament’s Environment
Committee have
pushed for more ambitious
EU food waste
reduction targets.
Binding waste reduction
targets by 2030 should be
at least 20% in food processing
and manufacturing
and 40% per capita in
retail, restaurants, food
services and households,
MEPs said.
The latter would be in
comparison to the annual
average between 2020 and
2022. In the EU, 60 million
tonnes of food waste, or
131kg per person, are generated
annually.
EU countries would need
to ensure that these targets
are achieved at
national level by December
31, 2030. However, Ireland
already has a 50%
food waste reduction target
in place for 2030.
Solutions to reduce food
waste provided by the
MEPs include promoting
“ugly” fruits and vegetables,
clarifying date
labelling and donating
unsold-but-consumable
food. The food waste
reduction targets proposed
by the MEPs are
higher then the ones proposed
by the European
Commission in its revision
of the Waste Framework
Directive.
MEPs also want the commission
to evaluate the
possibility and make
AIDAN
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Bracknagh, Co Offaly
appropriate legislative
proposals to introduce
higher targets for 2035 of
at least 30% and 50%
respectively. The environment
committee earlier
this week adopted its position
on the revision of the
directive proposed by the
commission by 72 votes to
four, and three abstentions.
The full parliament is
scheduled to vote on its
position during the plenary
session next month.
The file will be followed up
by the new parliament
after the EU elections on 6
to 9.
TEXTILE WASTE
The proposed revision of
the Waste Framework
Directive also concerns
textile waste. A total of
12.6 million tonnes of textile
waste are generated
across the EU every year,
EU figures show. Clothing
and footwear account for
5.2 million tonnes of
waste, or 12kg of waste per
person every year. It is
estimated that less than
1% of all textiles worldwide
are recycled into new
products.
The new rules, as
adopted by MEPs, would
set up extended producer
responsibility schemes
through which economic
operators placing textiles
on the EU market would
cover the costs for their
separate collection, sorting
and recycling.
Under the parliament’s
proposal, EU countries
would need to ensure, by 1
January, 2025, the separate
collection of textiles for
re-use, preparing for reuse
and recycling. These
rules would cover clothing
and accessories, blankets,
bed linen, curtains, hats,
footwear, mattresses and
carpets, including products
that contain textilerelated
materials such as
leather, rubber or plastic.
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Spring 2024
Planning
system for
slurry storage
‘completely
clogged’
The planning permission
system for
slurry storage is
“completely clogged”
at the moment, the
Joint Oireachtas
Committee on Agriculture,
Food and the
Marine has heard.
The comment was
made by the president
of the Irish Creamery
Milk Suppliers’ Association
(ICMSA),
Denis Drennan who
addressed the committee
yesterday
recently.
Drennan told the
committee that there
is currently a situation
where “anybody
and everybody” is in a
position in which
they can object planning
permission for
slurry storage.
He said it is “completely
ridiculous”
that somebody “living
300 miles away” can
object planning based
on the distance from a
Special Protected
Area (SPA) or Special
Area of Conservation
(SAC).
Drennan said there
is a “huge” number of
non-governmental
organisations (NGOs)
in Ireland who are
“making a full-time
job out of objecting to
farmers [doing] the
right thing”.
“On one hand part of
their organisation is
saying that farmers
need to spread slurry
at the right times and
have the proper facilities
in place.
“Yet the other wing
of the same organisation
can be objecting
and become serial
objectors to people
who want to do the
right thing,” the
ICMSA president told
the committee.
PLANNING FOR
SLURRY STORAGE
Drennan said that,
at the moment, planning
permission can
take up to 18 months,
even for “straightforward”
cases, which he
said is completely
“unacceptable” for
farmers.
He added that the
Targeted Agricultural
Modernisation
Scheme (TAMS 3) is
also “clogged up”,
stating that only 800
of the over 2,500 applications
for slurry
storage are approved
to date.
Stressing that farmers
“can’t have
enough slurry storage”,
Drennan said
that it is the “ultimate
goal” to be in a position
to spread slurry
when the weather
conditions are
favourable.
If a farmer is in control
of their slurry
and spreads it at the
most “optimal” time
in terms of grass
uptake, that is the
“most effective” for
farmers economically
and the environment,
he said.
FAST TRACKING
He said the planning
system and TAMS
need to be fixed, and
fast tracking of planning
and “maybe even
planning exemptions”
where farmers are
building on existing
farmyard is needed.
“We can’t have a situation
where getting
planning permission
can take up to 18
months and to get
approval for TAMS
takes another nine or
10 months,” Drennan
said at the meeting.
Under current
TAMS rules, where
farmers have less
than the legally
required slurry storage,
they are ineligible
for a TAMS grant
for slurry storage or
soiled water, the
ICMSA said.
The association is
proposing that if
farmers are below the
legal requirement and
wish to bring their
slurry facilities up to
20 weeks, for example,
they would be
required to pay the
full cost up to the
legal limit and would
get grant aid thereafter.
For example, if
farmers have 15
weeks storage in Zone
A (16 weeks), they
would pay for one
weeks’ storage and
would get grant aid on
the additional four
weeks, the ICMSA
said.
MIDLAND FARMER
Calf registrations surplus 300,000 for 2024
Calf registrations have now
reached 314,424 head for 2024,
with 96,628 registered in the last
week based on Irish Cattle Breeding
Federation (ICBF) data.
The data from ICBF applies to
calves that were registered before
16 February.
This time last year, some 434,763
head had been registered, which
means that based on the data, registrations
are down 120,339 compared
to last year.
CALF REGISTRATIONS
Looking at the data, 268,888 calves
have been registered to dairy dams
– this is down 104,442 head on 2023.
For this week, 87,906 calves were
registered to dairy dams, which
when compared to the same week
last year is down 62,588.
Some of the decrease may be due
to the National Genotyping Programme,
which is currently taking
12.5 days for calves to be registered
from tagging.
Moving to the calves registered to
beef dams, there have been 45,536
calves registered so far this year.
For the same period in 2023 some
61,433 calves had been registered to
beef dams, which means that numbers
are down 15,897 head.
For the week ending 16 February,
a total of 96,628 calves were registered
to dairy and beef dams –
9
which when compared to the same
period in 2023 is down 68,608 head.
For the same period in 2023, some
165,236 had been registered to dairy
and beef dams.
GENOTYPING
The National Genotyping Programme
is in its first year, and as of
13 February, more than 66,000 animal
passports were issued via the
programme.
ICBF has stated that the programme
is “progressing well” and
that on average, it is taking 12.5
days from birth to receiving the
animal’s passport.
Postage delays have been noted as
an issue in the receiving of samples
to the labs.
However, in the programme’s
information handbook, ICBF said
that including postage, the whole
process – from tagging to the issuing
of animal passports, can take
on average 10 to 12 days.
For more, see page 7

10 MIDLAND FARMER
Spring 2024
ICMSA set out “essentials” for
independence of Agriculture
Appeals Review Panel
Speaking in advance of addressing
the Joint Committee for
Agriculture, Food and Marine
on the draft Bill to establish the
Review Panel for Agriculture
Appeals, ICMSA President Denis
Drennan said that the independence
of the Review Panel will
be essential and that certain conditions
were necessary if that
independence was to be recognised
and unquestioned.
“Every year, ICMSA deals with
members who have sanctions
imposed on them under various
Department of Agriculture, Food
& Marine schemes and who appeal
the decision. This is a hugely
stressful process for many farmers
with the loss of income amongst
other issues and, in the context of
the amendment being proposed, it
is just essential that farmers have
confidence in the new system and
that the decisions taken are fair
and reasonable. And to that end,
ICMSA believes that several specific
measures would greatly help
instil that farmer confidence in
the new regime,” said Mr Drennan.
ICMSA believes it is essential
that there is adequate farmer representation
on the Review Panel.
Under the proposed legislation,
the Minister appoints members of
the Review Panel, but there is no
specific reference to farm representation
on the panel. There are
a number of precedents in relation
to farmer representation on
review panels that have operated
fairly and reasonably. It is simply
essential that there is farmer representation
on this critical Review
Panel.
The Review Panel should have
the power to set its own regulations
while obviously respecting
national and EU laws. Under the
draft Bill, the Minister may set
down regulations and ICMSA considers
this to be a retrograde step.
If the Review Panel is to be independent,
it should have the power
to set down its own rules and procedures
and not be dictated to by
the Minister of the day.
The Review Panel should have
the power to elect its own Deputy
Chairperson and not by Ministerial
appointment, as proposed in
the draft legislation. A six-month
timeframe for a decision on an
appeal should be set down in the
legislation.
“At a time when farmers need to
feel confidence that agricultural
appeals will be heard fairly and
relatively promptly, we urge the
Minister and the Department to
take on board these proposals and
thus set out the independence of
the Review panel in a way that is
incontrovertible. We badly need to
rebuild farmer confidence in the
whole system of Government
interaction with farmers from its
present unsustainably low level,”
said the ICMSA President.
New suckler scheme expected
to be rolled-out in July
A reformed suckler
scheme which is expected
to have no upper limit on
the number of weanlings/herd
that will be eligible
for payment is
expected to be rolled out
this July.
The scheme will offer suckler
farmers a payment of
€50/weanling and the new
scheme – which is still at the
negotiation stage and has yet
to be given a title – will
replace the National Beef
Welfare Scheme (NBWS).
The NBWS was rolled out
last year but had an upper
limit of 40 calves.
Testing for the presence of
infectious bovine rhinotracheitis
(IBR) in herds was
one of the measures in the
previous NBWS, however
this measure is expected to
be scrapped for the new
€50/cow scheme this year.
The scheme is expected to
be available for all sucklerbred
calves born between 1
July, 2023 and 30 June, 2024.
Under the scheme, it is
envisaged that a payment of
€35/eligible calf will be
available for a meal feeding
measure, and an additional
€15/eligible calf will be
available for a vaccination
measure.
As well as the €50/weanling
payment, an optional
add-on of €400/herd is
expected to be offered to
assist suckler farmers in
developing herd health
plans. Before the details of
the new scheme can be
finalised, it will have to be
approved by the Department
of Public Expenditure and
Reform.
Over €14.2 million was paid
to the 15,834 suckler farmers
who participated in the
NBWS in 2023.While any
details of financial support
will be positive news for
farmers, the huge decline in
the number of suckler-bred
calves born in Ireland
appears to be continuing.
According to the Irish Cattle
Breeding Federation
(ICBF), the number of suckler
bred calves registered in
2023 fell by over 60,000 head.
As of Friday, December 29,
2023, just over 754,600 suckler
bred calves had been registered
compared to just
under 815,000 head registered
in 2022.
A similar trend of declining
registrations of suckler
bred calves has also been
seen in the opening few
weeks of this year.
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Spring 2024
The general secretary of
the Irish Cattle and
Sheep Farmers’ Association
(ICSA) has
accused the European
Commission of being
“detached” from farmers.
Eddie Punch made the
comments at the Global
Food Forum this week in
Brussels which was
organised by Farm
Europe.
The two-day event, taking
place ahead of the
European elections in
June, called for the development
of an ambitious
European farm deal.
Among those in attendance
were EU Commissioner
for Agriculture
Janusz Wojciechowski,
along with David Clarinval,
deputy prime minister
and Minister of
Agriculture, Belgium,
which currently holds the
EU presidency.
They were joined by key
figures from EU institutions,
national ministers,
farm organisations and
business leaders.
In his response to the
Commissioner Wojciechowski
and the Belgian
presidency of the
EU, Eddie Punch took aim
at the lack of engagement
by the EU Commission
with the farmers.
“As we come to the end
of another commission
mandate, I look back at
the last four-and-a-halfyears
and I wonder how
did it get so bad that the
commission became so
detached from the practitioners
on the ground?
“How is it that you have
been expert in shadow
consultation with keyboard
warriors, but not
listening or engaging in a
real way with the practitioners
on the ground?
“You know this now
because you see the tractors
on the streets. But
you should not have to be
shocked and surprised.
“The farmers are angry
all over Europe at the confluence
of policies that
have shown disrespect for
the people who put food
on the table,” he said.
Punch told the conference
that farmers are
being asked to do more on
sustainability, biodiversity
and climate change
while being expected to
continue to produce food
“at prices that are not sustainable
economically”.
“We have had a crisis of
inflation and input costs,”
he said.
Punch said that the
Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP) budget has
been “eroded by inflation”
over the past
decade.
“A CAP budget that was
meant to be for farmers to
produce food so that there
would be cheap food available
for consumers.
Throughout the last four
years we have seen the
CAP budget raided again
and again,” he said.
He added that treating
farmers as if they were
large industrial production
units under the
Industrial Emissions
Directive (IED) was “a
MIDLAND FARMER
EU Commission ‘detached’ from farmers – ICSA
Convoy of tractors during protest in Spain.
11
ridiculous concept”.
“How has this commission
become so detached
from the reality of practitioners
on the ground that
we have seen proposal
after proposal that is obviously
based on a detachment
from the people who
must implement this?
“Even today I see the
European Food Safety
Authority report on animal
welfare and it is clear
that they have not discussed
practical realities
with farmers.
“They have figures there
for example for the space
per cow which is completely
out of touch with
reality. They clearly have
not discussed this with
the practitioners on the
ground,” he said.
It is understood that the
EFSA report recommends
that each dairy cow be
allocated 9m2 in sheds
which the ICSA general
secretary said would not
make economical or environmental
sense.
“Is there any pause for
reflection in the commission
that you have got it
so wrong over the last
four years and what are
you going to do to change
it now?” Punch asked.
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12 MIDLAND FARMER
Spring 2024