A great year for growth
Stand in the Gap
Kathleen Duffy
It is a great year for fruit, flowers and grass. We should all have bumper crops by the laden down look of the trees.
A branch of one of the plum trees broke off with about a hundred plums on it. I should have offloaded some much earlier.
When you are driving down the country roads do you notice how cluttered the countryside is looking? Grasses and docks have gone to seed and bushes and trees are overgrown. The ground remained stubborn, with wild flowers and weeds, especially ragwort or Buachallán a challenge (some may say biodiversity for bees and insects).
The spell of good weather allowed lots of bales of hay to be made, a convenience for farmers when there is a sick calf or just to tide them over on a busy winter’s evening. The second cut silage is done early and the grass is growing again since the rain came back.
Grassland management is more crucial. At the end of last month there was a slow growth of grass on farms, but this has taken off with the warm and rainy weather. Farmers from Cork and Kerry have been talking about near drought situations there.
We spread protected urea on the grazing platform except the multi species, which got a total of 9.5kgs N kg/Ha in the middle of last week. Grassland management is more crucial with all the challenges facing farmers. We had a French student Adrien staying with us who came to improve his English and he was very eager to swap farming knowledge and was a great help on the farm.
Nitrates Derogation
We have a nitrates derogation and any more loss or change would affect us badly. The goalposts keep changing and last week the latest twist is about the Habitats Directive. The Irish Nitrates Plan (NAP) failed beyond reasonable doubt to show that the Natura 2000 sites are not negatively impacted by NAP in breach of the Habitats Directive. We now have to show compliance with this directive and the EU wants an appropriate assessment of its impact.
We are within the Boyne and Blackwater River Catchment Area and these rivers within this SAC support important populations of salmon, river lamprey, and otter, and also provide habitat for other species like kingfishers. Activities (not only farming) could negatively impact water quality or supply. We are at the mercy of other users including towns and any other users between here and the sea. The worst affected part of Ireland is in the South East, but it affects us all.
People wonder why the price of food is going up, you only have to look at the huge increase in costs of farming and compliance, and this is only starting. The latest news from Brussels is the change in CAP funding, a reduction of 22% from 2028 and lots of changes to accompany this.
One change is the combining of Pillar 1 (Farming i.e. direct payments) and Pillar 2 (rural development including the LEADER funding) into new National and Regional Partnership Plans. This will be a mess as different countries will make different rules, thereby losing the safety net of having EU overview.
Other suggested changes are support for young farmers and generational renewal (the latest buzzword) and Farm Relief Services to be funded which is good. The thorny question of retiring the older farmer and not supporting armchair farmers will create much debate. In some other EU countries, you cannot get the Old Age Pension or State Contributory Pension if you continue to get EU subsidies; you can of course continue to farm. It is your land and you can farm or do what ever you want, but the subsidies paid by EU are being revised. All this and the shortage of cattle will have a knock-on effect on the prices in the shops.
Away from the everyday farming, flicking through the Virginia Show’s 82nd prize list, it makes one aware of the diversity of skills alive and well in rural Ireland, with almost 500 different classes.
Many, who work with animals and poultry love to show them, while others have interest in the farm and garden produce, fruit and flowers, home industries such as baking, jam making, wine making, honey, needlework or craftwork. Others are more skilled in the arts, painting, photography, handwriting, short story, with special sections for social inclusion of all age groups and levels. There are confined classes in all sections as well. The children’s classes are very popular, as are the dog and pet classes.
Blessing of graves
This time every year we get together as families for the annual Cemetery Sunday in Maghera and Mullagh, while Moynalty is always around August 15. This practice is not known nationwide but I think it is a lovely tradition. Attendance offers opportunities to catch up with extended family. As family members branch out and the next generation takes over, we really appreciate their taking time out to acknowledge their grandparents and forefathers. Every year more families are bereaved leaving a vacant spot and memories to fill for many years to come.
Have a great August and be safe on the farm.