Farming September 2011

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farming guide Tel: 094-9384217 • Mobile: 087-9969455 • www.obrientractors.com Main Dealer for 2010 Landini Vision 105 2008 Landini Vision 95 2007 McCormick C85 Max 2010 Landini Powerfarm 100 c/w Loader 2008 Landini Vision 105 c/w Loader 2007 Landini Vision 105 1997 Case 5130 c/w Loader 2001 Landini Ghibli 80 c/w loader 2004 Ursus 490 2003 Ursus 490 2006 Landini Mythos 105 Selection of new tractors in stock - Finance Arranged SALES • SERVICE • SPARE PARTS Prebooking No. 096-22555 Prebooking of Weanlings: Thursday 9am / Prebooking of Bks, Hfrs & Cows: Friday 9am Please note:Sat 1st Oct, 4th Annual Show & Sale of Mayo/Sligo Black faced Mountain Breeding Ewes and Lambs. PLEASE NOTE: Change of Time for Prebooking to 9am Monday 19th September BULL & HEIFER WEANLINGS SHEEP SALE (Fat, Store and Breeding) Tuesday 20th September BULLOCKS, HEIFERS & COWS

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Farming September 2011

Transcript of Farming September 2011

Page 1: Farming September 2011

farmingguide

Tel: 094-9384217 • Mobile: 087-9969455 • www.obrientractors.com

Main Dealer for

2010 Landini Vision 1052008 Landini Vision 952007 McCormick C85 Max2010 Landini Powerfarm 100c/w Loader2008 Landini Vision 105 c/wLoader

2007 Landini Vision 1051997 Case 5130 c/w Loader2001 Landini Ghibli 80 c/wloader2004 Ursus 4902003 Ursus 4902006 Landini Mythos 105

Selection of new tractors in stock - Finance Arranged

SALES • SERVICE • SPARE PARTS

Prebooking No. 096-22555

Prebooking of Weanlings: Thursday 9am / Prebooking of Bks, Hfrs & Cows: Friday 9amPlease note:Sat 1st Oct, 4th Annual Show & Sale of Mayo/Sligo Black faced Mountain

Breeding Ewes and Lambs.

PLEASE NOTE: Change of Time for Prebooking to 9am

Monday 19th September

BULL & HEIFER WEANLINGS SHEEP SALE(Fat, Store and Breeding)Tuesday 20th September

BULLOCKS, HEIFERS & COWS

Page 2: Farming September 2011

farmingnews

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THE boom in commodities is not allgood news for farming communitiesas the rate of metal theft reachednew extremes in recent weeks.

With more than !5,000/t onoffer from merchants for scrap cop-per, or ¤200/t for scrap steel,

thieves are stripping vehicles oftheir batteries, raiding churches andstealing metal sculptures and tele-phone wires.

The situation has prompted theIFA to call for the immediate intro-duction of a metal compliance

scheme similar to those operatedby Repak.

Rural affairs chairman Pat Farrellsaid that farm households havebeen left without a phone serviceafter thieves removed copperphone cabling.

"Even manhole covers are beingstolen throughout the country inaddition to batteries, farm machin-ery and scrap metal being taken outof farmyards," he said. "In Cork,thieves are stealing road signs whilein the midlands thefts of copperpipes, cylinders and radiators fromhomes and sports club facilities arebeing reported."

St Kevin's Church, in Shanakiel,Co Cork, was stripped of all its leadand copper last month. Meanwhile,seven level-crossing gates werestolen in the last week in CoRoscommon.

Mr Farrell believes that the cur-rent review of the national wastestrategy by the Minister for the En-vironment, Phil Hogan, provides areal opportunity to track scrapthieves.

Copper prices are up 23pc thisyear. Aluminium has gone up 15pcover the past 12 months, withprices at !770-900/t. Prices forsteel are at !150-200/t

Huge rise in scrap metal pricesleads to crime wave

Live exporter says he favoursCharolais over Belgian BlueTHE Italian market no longer favours well muscled Belgian Blue (BB)weanlings, according to David Garavelli, one of the largest live exportersin the country.

Garavelli was addressing a crowd of over 300 farmers at a special suck-ler demonstration held in Co Roscommon last Saturday and organisedby Elphin Livestock Mart and Teagasc. He told farmers that a few yearsago the market for BB weanlings was ''up and coming''.

However, he said ''we have over-stepped the mark and finishers are re-alising that the returns generated from finishing BB weanlings are lowerwhen compared to returns generated from Charolais weanlings (CH)''.According to Garavelli the market for BB is not only highly specialised butis contracting.

On the other hand, the market for CH cattle was described as beingmuch more diverse.

The Westmeath based exporter also highlighted the growth rate andmeat quality of the CH as being superior. He told farmers that in relationto liveweight gain Italian feedlots viewed crossbred CH weanlings fromIreland as superior to purebreds from France.

He said ''liveweight gain on French purebreds was 2% lower than fromIrish crossbreeds''. In relation to meeting market demands into the futureGaravelli advised farmers to go down the CH route and invest in qualitycows. He accepted that a few years ago he would have advised differ-ently but based his turnaround on changing market requirements.

The live exporter, who exports Irish cattle across Europe, painted anupbeat picture in relation to market demand and price prospects for theautumn.

He told farmers that Italian beef prices were on the up and the num-bers of animals in feedlots was currently very low. With silage pits nowfull of maize a strong demand for weanlings from Italy was forecast forthis autumn. The opening of the Turkish market for French beef and livecattle from the start of September was also highlighted as a major posi-tive. Garavelli believed that the price of French weanlings would increasesharply amid strong competition from both Turkey and Italy. France is byfar the largest supplier of weanlings to Italy with over 70% market share.Ireland, with just a 4% market share, would stand to benefit from any in-crease in the price of French weanlings.

Page 3: Farming September 2011

Saturday 22nd OctoberRoscrea MartBulls (fit for service) Heifers

Recipients with pedigree calves at footRecipients with pedigree embryos

Frozen Embryo’sShow 10am - Sale 1pm

Enquries: The Irish Belgian Blue Cattle SocietyTelephone: 0504-43870 or www..ibbcs.com

Page 4: Farming September 2011

ploughingchampionshipsIt’s Not Just Tractors and Machinery at the NationalPloughing Championships

There is a lot happening at this year’sploughing Championship and it not justfor the farming or machinery enthusi-

asts. This year there is a host of fun events,shows, stands and competitions to suit justabout everybody.

For example, this year the Ploughing Cham-pionship plays host to the first ever Husq-varna Pole Climbing Competition. This eventwill see competitors race up and down twopoles which are 30 Metres in height in a bidfor the title. Favourite for the first all Irelandtitle, many would suggest, is former worldchampion pole climber, Terry Bennett. In ad-dition, Husqvarna are also hosting the AxeFactor, which features trained Axemen en-tertaining and wowing the crowds with theirskill and mastering of chainsaws.

There will be a JFC Fencing Demonstra-tions throughout the 3 days. The Skoda standis also worth checking out for the 4x4 offroad driving course that demonstrates the4x4 capabilities of the Skoda Yeti. Patronshave a chance to sit-in with professional driv-ers as they maneuver a series of obstacles inYeti’s 4x4.

For Rugby fans attending, there is a chanceto meet some of the Munster Rugby teamand have your picture taken with the Magn-ers League Trophy. Both Players and Trophywill be on site at the Munster Rugby Storestand. In addition, the Avonmore Milk Barstand will play host to several members of

both the Kilkenny Hurling team and MunsterRugby Team. Given its success with the pub-lic last year, the Sheep Shearing demonstra-tion is taking place again at the PloughingChampionships this year and the All IrelandLamb Shearing will take place on Wednesday.This proved to be a huge attraction last yearand spectators have a chance to see theShearers in action again each day of the event.

This year the national ploughing Champi-onships will feature an Interactive Car Crashexperience, in association with the RoadSafety Authority. Visitors to the site will begiven the chance to experience first-hand,what it is like to be involved in a car crash.The Roll-Over Simulator is a car fitted to ahydraulic platform which can simulate a 180degree roll-over, rendering the car upside-down. This demonstration gives both driversand passengers a real sense of being involvedin a Car Crash and the frightening experienceof being suspended upside-down from theirseat belts. Another interactive experienceavailable to this year’s patrons is the simulatedexperience of driving a Formula 1 race car.This is being provided at Formula 1 Car Hirestand.

Also taking place at the event is the IrishFarmers Journal Country Sound Pavilion. Thiswill see both Irish and International Countrystars showcase their talents along with meet-ing their fans at their individual stands withinthe pavilion. This is not only a first for the Irish

Ploughing Championship but the first of itskind in Ireland. Fans will also get a chance tosee some of their favourite country stars atthe NPA Bandstand. The bandstand will pro-vide musical entertainment throughout thethree days with acts such as Robert Mizzell,Georgette Jones, Liam O’Connor, Mick Flavinand Mike Denver taking to the stage A hugeattraction for the ladies last year was the dailyfashion shows and they are sure to prove ahit again this year. Along with this, SunwayHolidays are sponsoring a “most appropri-ately dressed lady” competition with a firstprize of a holiday for two to Lanzarote. LouisCopeland is sponsoring the “most appropri-ately dressed man” competition with a prizeof a tailored suit up for grabs.

Some of the big hits with the kids last yearare returning once again. These include theCarnival, the toy shops and the OutdoorRadio Broadcasts featuring many celebritypresenters visiting the ploughing. TheMounted Pony Games and Hunt Chase alongwith the Sheepdog Trials are great speed tri-als that the young people enjoy. Of course thetractors, huge machines and many promo-tions, competitions and freebies are alwaysfirst for the kids find in on arrival. The Euro-pean Union stand will also be stocked withchildrens publications, colouring books andpencils, quizzes and interesting maps.

In addition to all these activates, thePloughing championships will also feature

Celebrity Cookery Demonstrations, VintageMachinery Exhibitions and Demonstrations,Meggers, Food Tasting, Horse Ploughing, LoyDigging, a “Ploughing through the years” ex-hibition, Wine Tasting, an Innovations Area,Vintage Tractor Speed Build Trials and an An-imal Pharmacy.

Taking place at the Cully and Scully standare Blind Tastings, Butter making and Cook-ery demonstrations. The Marie Keating Foun-dation’s Mobile Health Information units willbe on site manned by a registered nurse whois available to give information and advice onany health related matters. This service iscompletely free of charge and no appoint-ment is necessary.

You can look for beauty advice and receivea mini- makeover, get a foot scan, relax in ahealth massage chair and choose from a se-lection of make-up, skincare products on thevarious exhibits. There will be enough retailtherapy to keep you going for at least one dayof the event and it’s arguable that you will findjust about everything at the Ploughing.

The National Ploughing Championships2011 takes place in Cardenton, Athy fromTuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd September.Tickets for 80th annual National PloughingChampionships are available by calling theNPA office on 059 8625125 or logging on towww.npa.ie. A special Bus Éireann shuttle-busservice will run to the site from train-stationsin Portarlington, Kildare and Athy.

Page 5: Farming September 2011

farmingnews

THE latest leaked document onCAP reform from Brussels confirmsthat farm Comissioner Ciolos's vi-sion of greener, flat-rate farm pay-ments is one step closer tobecoming reality.

Despite warnings from farm or-ganisations about the damage theproposals will cause to to farm in-comes, it now appears the Commis-sion is focusing on ironing out thedetails before Dacian Ciolos officiallylaunches the package on October12. Under the proposals, the SFP isto be replaced by a Single Area Pay-ment (SAP) scheme in 2014. This willthen become a reference year for fu-ture payments.

National and regional per hectarepayments will then be calculatedusing this as a baseline.

It has been suggested that farmerpayments for 2014 would initially becalculated on a mix of the historicand area-based methods, with a tran-sition on a phased basis to a total flatrate payment by January 1, 2019.

The latest document closely fol-lows the proposals included in pre-

vious drafts.These include:

The two-pillar structure of CAP isto be retained, with member statesgiven more leeway to co-finance Pil-lar II, which mainly governs rural de-velopment.

Environmental payments, or'greening', to become an integral partof a farm payments package, withfarmers required to carry out suchpractices as crop diversification,maintenance of permanent pastureor other measures to secure addi-tional payments which will accountfor 30pc of the total entitlement.

Payments to individual farmers andfarm businesses to be capped, al-though account will be taken of theemployment units provided. Pay-ments are to be capped at !300,000,with a claw-back of 20-70pc intro-duced on a sliding scale for paymentsbetween !150,000 and !300,000.

Targeted payments amounting to2pc of the national ceiling to assistyoung farmers. Up to 3pc of the na-tional ceiling to fund a national re-serve. Lump sum payment of !500-

1,000 instead of the SAP for smallholders.

However, in a change from earlierdrafts which will hit arable farms, thedocument proposes an increasefrom 5pc to 7pc in the area of eligi-ble land, excluding grassland, whichmust be set aside as ecological focusareas. These are either areas left fal-low, planted with forestry or markedoff as buffer strips.

Meanwhile, the draft documenthas proposed that market measuressuch as intervention, aid to privatestorage and export refunds shouldbe financed via a !3.5bn 'emergencyreserve', which for the first time willfall outside Pillar I of the CAP.

ICSA national president GabrielGilmartin has strongly attacked theproposals for a reformed CAP. Heclaimed that a flat-rate paymentmight sound good in theory but itwon't work in practice.

"The Commission's obsessionwith a uniform flat rate is simply un-workable and the timeframe ofachieving it by 2019 would com-pletely destroy the viability of toomany active farmers," Mr Gilmartinsaid.

He added that the key problemwas that the average payment per el-igible hectare for Ireland, which is!270/ha, was too low for the vastbulk of committed and active farm-ers who typically depended on cur-rent payments in the order of!360-!600.

IFA president John Bryan slammedthe decision to make 2014 a refer-ence year. He said the move wouldcause massive disruption in the farmsector. Mr Bryan called on Agricul-ture Minister Simon Coveney to actto secure a flexible payment systemthat will ensure the SFP in Ireland istargeted towards active and produc-tive farmers.

Fury at cut in milk price

THE Irish Dairy Board (IDB) has reduced its prices for skim milk pow-der by !100/t, which equates to a reduction of 4.25c/l on all suppliesbought by the IDB last month. Butter prices were unchanged.

Overall, the IDB's Purchase Price Index fell from 109 to 106.9 for lastmonth.

The ICMSA reacted angrily, saying that there was no basis for any re-duction in dairy product prices at the moment.

Dairy chairman Pat McCormack said co-ops should be increasing milkprice based on the evidence of increased profitability in the half-yearlyprofits of the two biggest plc processors.

"While powder prices may have weakened somewhat in early August,they have improved in recent weeks," he said. Mr McCormack was alsocritical of the IDB's new purchase price index system, which he said wasclouding what the IDB was actually paying. Meanwhile, it is rumouredLakelands has canvassed Donegal Creameries NI milk suppliers. Estimatesput the milk pool nabbed at 10-12m litres.

Record high for factories asprice fall is just 2c/kg

BEEF processors paid an average of 5c/kg more than their quoted pricesfor cattle to maintain supplies during August, according to figures com-piled by the Department of Agriculture.

In the process, the factories set an unlikely new all-time record high forbeef for the month.

The Department database shows an average base price of 363c/kg waspaid for R=3= steers, while the average base for R=3= heifers was373c/kg.

It was also the first time in several decades that the average price fallover the course of the summer was just 2c/kg, a sure sign that factorysupplies are under severe pressure.

But farmers will be unhappy with the fact that the price penalties forpoor grading animals are several multiples of the bonuses being offeredfor premium quality cattle.

This disparity in the pricing structure would appear to favour the beefprocessors, given that lower grade cattle grading O outnumber thosegrading U by over seven to one. The average premium over the baseprice for U=3= steers was 15c/kg, while an average penalty of 23c/kg wasapplied to O=4= steers.

There was also a wide variation between individual factories on thepremiums and penalties applied.

The premium for U=3= ranged from 13-20c/kg during the month.However, penalty for O=4= grades was more than double this with arange of 18-41c/kg between different plants.

A penalty of 41c/kg reduced the returns for an average weight steer by!135 when compared to the base price.

The IFA has urged farmers to consider selling more cattle through themart system for the most competitive prices.

Intake figures from the factories show that there was a decline of 3pcin the steer kill compared to the same month in 2010. Heifer supplieswere just over 1pc higher than 2010. The demand for cattle during themonth underlined the strength of the beef export markets and is con-tributing to a positive season for producers.

Ciolos's CAP vision begins totake hold

Finishing is a delicate operationWITH record beef prices and correspondingly high storeand feed prices, caution is urged on all fronts for the com-ing winter for those contemplating filling their sheds.

The cycle of low autumn beef prices and low autumnstore prices seems to be well and truly a thing of the past.

The autumn/spring 'price break' is what traditionally fu-elled profitability in the winter finishing sector and withthe exception of last winter, has not been a feature of thebeef trade for many years.

Last winter's unexpected and welcome beef price riseof almost 18pc between September and April/May is un-likely to be replicated this winter. A realistic budgeted in-crease of 5-10pc is a more likely figure to be working offthis year, but doing your figures is essential before pur-chasing any store cattle.

The sight of lean, "poorly done", "big for weight" storesis also very uncommon this autumn.

The excellent grass season we have just had has left thetraditional store very scarce.

All buyers around the rings are encountering very fleshyanimals that will take very little time to finish. The conse-quences of holding these animals on feed for the normal100/140 day feeding period will result in possible over-fatcarcasses which are of no benefit to the farmer or theprocessor. Cattle need to be fed correctly when housed inorder to reduce the time spent on feed. Projected averagedaily feed cost are over !3/hd in a lot of cases for matureanimals, largely as a result of purchased beef blends being!60-80/t over the corresponding time last year. This willhave a huge negative effect on the daily feed cost of the fin-ishing animal. Finishers should make optimum use of

home-grown cereals, when available, to cut costs and im-prove performance. I am regularly formulating finisher dietsusing high quality forage and cereals that are costing slightlyin excess of !2 per head per day. Feeders cannot afford toexceed these types of costings and expect any marginfrom finishing this winter.

This winter it is essential that animals achieve their max-imum potential for every day that they are housed. Simplehousing routines such as correct grouping of animals andnot sickening animals by over feeding will greatly reducedays to slaughter and increase your margin. Almost everycattleyard has an abundance of grass silage this year. Thesilage analysis results I am seeing are also well above the av-erage, so maximum use should be made of this resource.

Better nutrition improves live weight gain, grading, kill-out percentages and meat quality, as well as reducing fat, soall effort should be put into selecting the correct concen-trate to match the forage being used and the type of ani-mal being fed.

Greater co-operation between farmers and processingfactories is essential for the survival of the winter-finishingsector. Perhaps now is the time that the main retailersshould step in to help and show some 'social responsibil-ity'.

There is very little sign of forward contracts being of-fered this autumn. Contracting on price is essential for thewinter finishing sector but it can also have a negative effect.It can be used by finishers as an excuse to pay higher storeprices than necessary, pay too much for feed and see themtake their eye off the ball with regard to cattle perform-ance.

Page 6: Farming September 2011

Having completed a busy summer of harvesting spraying and fertilising, Green Belt arenow welcoming enquiries for new planting applications. Ian Fitzpatrick pointed out that“at this present time, the department are seeking out in particular, poorer agricultural

ground i.e. rushy or somewhat overgrown fields”.With the planting season fast approaching in November, now is the ideal time to begin the

application for planting approval and grant funding.Ian noted that “Green Belt has long been associated with forestry in the northwest and has

a proven track record when it comes to managing forests from establishment to harvesting,nowadays it is vital that the landowner chooses their forestry company carefully to ensure thebest possible crop on their land”.

Getting involved in the forestry grant scheme is very straightforward; by contacting yourlocal representative you will have taken the first step. Ian Fitzpatrick covers Sligo, Mayo andnorth Leitrim. He can be contacted on 086 2593130. Ian previously worked in Kerry and westCork for Green Belt and will continue to utilise his knowledge of west coast soils with a viewto establishing the best possible forest on your land. Covering Roscommon and south Leitrim,Joe Tansey can be contacted on 086 2599190. Joe has contributed massively to the success offorestry in these counties over many years and can call on vast experience when it comes toforest establishment.

Call today to explore your chance at a secure and hassle free income from forestry.

Green Belt well placedfor planting season

THIS year marks 80 years of the NationalPloughing Association and in that time it hasgrown from a small one field site to an eventrequiring over 700 acres of land. To demon-strate the size of this event, below are some ofthe interesting facts and figures that are neededto stage the championships:

• Preparations and plans for this year’s eventbegan just 4 days after last year’s competitionfinished.

• Last year, over 180,000 people converged onthe Athy site over the 3 days, making thePloughing Championships the largest event ofits kind in Ireland and attracting people fromnot only across Ireland but across Europe andfurther afield.• The land area needed for staging this year’sevent comprises of 400 acres of car parkingspace, 200 acres for the ploughing competitions,80 acres for trade/ stand exhibitors and an areaof approximately 25 acres for demonstrations.

• Over 500 temporary staff, mostly comprisedof volunteers are required for the smooth run-ning of the event this year including over 100judges and supervisors for the Ploughing Com-petitions.• It is estimated that the National PloughingChampionships will generate in excess of !10million for the local economy.• Over 1,100 exhibitors will be manning standsat the event. • The laying of 6,000 panels of Trakway is now

well underway. This represents about 15 kilo-metres of track throughout the entire site• 6 x 800 plus 6 x 600 KVA generators are re-quired on site this year with a huge 45,000 kilo-metres of electrical cable needed to power theentire venue• The catering section on site will employ over1,000 people during the three days. Within thiscatering section:• There will be approximately 150,000 bottlesof Coca Cola products drank.• 15 tonnes of beef will be sold at the event.• There will be one Irish produced quarterpounder burger sold every second.• There will be one chicken fillet sold every 10seconds• Approximately 20 tonne of Irish potatoes willbe used• 25,000 breakfasts / breakfast rolls sold eachday.• 200,000 gallons of water will be used.• The number of Gardaí required over the 3days will be in excess of 180.• There will be 427 individual exhibitor tentsand marquees throughout the site. • This year just under 4000 fencing panels areneeded. This represents over 14 kilometres offencing. • Over the 3 days, there will be approximately350 heads of cattle on site. Some of these valuein the region of !20,000 – !30,000 each. • The number livestock between cattle andsheep is estimated at 800, many of these will be valued between !4000 and!5000 each.• To feed and keep this live stock, up to 300round bales of straw is required. In addition, 100bales of hay and up to 7 tonnes of meal areneeded. The above are some of the statistics that are in-volved with the organisation, planning and run-ning of this year’s event which takes place atCardenton in Athy from Tuesday 20th to 22ndof September.

Interesting Statistics about the Ploughing Championships

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Page 7: Farming September 2011

THE Irish dairy industry willbe left behind if it does notrestructure, claims the headof New Zealand dairy giantFonterra. Henry van der Hey-den urged Irish farmers totake advantage of growingglobal dairy demand by creat-ing a streamlined industrywith one vision.

He insisted that funding fordevelopment of the Irishdairy industry would have tocome from farmers or theywould lose control of thebusiness.

"If you believe in your co-op, then give it the funds," hesaid. Mr Van der Heyden toldfarmers they would beamazed at how much costcould be taken out of thesupply chain and additionalrevenue realised by creatingan integrated dairy businesswith a single managementteam. "By staying where youare, you will be left behind,"he warned.

The Fonterra boss said acomplete overhaul of theIrish dairy industry was pos-sible within a five-year period.

"But it will be a tough, hardslog," Mr van der Heydensaid. Integration of the IrishDairy Board was key to theindustry's development, heclaimed, believing a co-opstructure would best suit thedevelopment of the Irishdairy industry.

"Unless Irish farmers havemore than 50pc of the coun-try's milk production in a co-op, you will regret it," hewarned. "Co-ops drive milkprices worldwide."

He added that dry share-holders and one farmer, onevote structures were incom-patible with growing the busi-ness to its maximum.

Fonterra insists that itsshareholders are active milkproducers and contribute

both milk and equity to theco-op.

He also urged farmers tochange how co-op boardmembers were elected, say-ing the focus should be onmaximising milk value, not onregional representation.

Mr van der Heyden wasspeaking to almost 200 dairyfarmers gathered in Kilkennyfor a conference hosted bythe Dairy Discussion Groupsof Ireland.

He outlined the dairy de-mand figures that Fonterrawas using as its basis for ex-pansion between now and2019. Dairy demand withinChina was set to grow by36bn litres of milk, while de-mand in India was set to riseby 45bn litres. New Zealandmilk production looks set toincrease by 4bn litres in thesame period.

Joe Gill, director of re-search at Bloxham Stockbro-kers, warned farmers to bewary of taking on too muchdebt in dairy expansion, bothon-farm and at processinglevel. "It cannot be a debt-dri-ven investment because thatwould destroy the business ina short period," he said.

"The optimal structure isto have large-scale processingfacilities with modest debt fo-cused on bulk products.

"It also means fewer, largerfarmers with low levels ofdebt," Mr Gill said.

He said that Ireland shouldstick to producing bulk com-modities, not value-addedbranded products.

Meanwhile, former IFApresident Padraig Walshe saidit was time to resurrect lastyear's Glanbia proposal tobuy the Irish processing andagri-business arm from Glan-bia plc. "It's time to get backin control of milk processing,"Mr Walshe said.

Deise 1250 DairyDiscussion GroupOpen DayTHE Deise 1250 dairy discussion grouphosted an open day on the farm of Liam andMatthew Budds, Summerhill, Kinsalebeg, Co.Waterford today, Thursday, 8 September. Thegroup are the national winners of the AC-CBank EBI dairy discussion group competi-tion which is sponsored by ACCBank andorganised jointly by Teagasc, ICBF and theFarmers Journal.

The Deise 1250 group were formed 4years ago, have 17 members and set a targetof producing 1,250 kilograms of milk solidsper hectare. With the assistance of Teagascdairy business and technology advisers BrianHilliard and Owen Power, the group are cur-rently averaging 1,000 kgs milk solids perhectare.

This level of performance is achievedthrough a high level of grass utilisation of 10.3tonnes dry matter per hectare, which is 30per cent higher than the national average. Thefarmers in the group also focus on the fertil-ity component of EBI to improve the fertilityof their herds, and are breeding high qualitysurplus replacement stock.

Speaking at the open day, ACCBank repre-sentative in Waterford, Mark Bourke said;“the open day presents an opportunity towitness the excellent achievements of theDeise 1250 dairy discussion group. This year’scompetition winners have shown us what canbe achieved in the areas of breeding, grass-land management and financial management.”

Head of knowledge transfer, dairying, inTeagasc, Tom O’ Dwyer, complimented theDeise 1250 group on their outstandingachievement. He said;” EBI really works forthis group. An analysis of the performance ofgroup members’ cows shows that thosecows with higher EBI have both higher milkproduction and fertility. The better fertility isresulting in more cows lasting in the herd forlonger. ”

The ACCBank EBI competition attractedalmost 3,000 dairy farmers participating in200 dairy discussion groups. The ‘establishedgroups’ section was hotly contested by someof the country’s leading dairy discussiongroups, but the Deise 1250 group, chaired byOwen Hallahan and composed entirely ofWaterford dairy farmers, emerged as nationalwinners. The group are previous regional win-ners of the competition.

Fonterra boss warnsdairy sector to reform

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Athy, Co. Kildare - 20 to 22 SeptemberStand 197 Row GD

Dead and WornOut Animal Collection

ServicePrompt Attention to all Calls

Office: 049-433 8331Mobile: 086-8551932

Or Call Kevin on: 086-3827008

K&C MULVANNY

Page 9: Farming September 2011

ploughingchampionships

(Machinery Importers & Distributers)Dublin Road, Cavan Ph: 049-4375900 Fax: 049-4331642

Page 10: Farming September 2011

SPECIAL OFFERS3M X 3M (10’ X 10’)...............................................!8502M X 2M (7’ X 7’)...................................................!7502.5M X 1.8M (8’ X 6’)...................................!4506M X 9M (20’ X 30’).............................................!3900

CALL US TODAY FOR MORE SPECIALS!

All the main supports of our garages areconstructed of heavy duty box sectionsteel for strength and durability and arehot dipped galvanised for longer Life.Our Units are built to withstand theharshest weather conditions. The sheet-ing is hot dipped galvanised and pvccoated to the colour of your choice.

“You tell us the size you want and we willprice on that exact size”

Sheds delivered & Erected NationwideFor no extra cost

MULTIPURPOSE GARDEN SHEDS & GARAGES

Contact: Ray Lynch Corlis, Castlerea, Co. RoscommonClare Office - Contact Eugene at the Indoor Market - 085-2188506

Phone: 086-8943034 or 094-9621938 - AGENTS REQUIRED

• 2”, 3”, 4”, 6” clean stone ! 170 per load • Maintenance, clause 804 ! 180 per load• Face Rock, Quarry Top ! 140 per load • Quarry Dust, 3” down ! 175 per load

All of the above prices are exclusive of vat and delivered within 15-mile radius of Easkey

Stone Mad Prices

Trading As Pentico Contracting Ltd. Marella, Enniscrone, Co. SligoOffice: (096) 37926 Fax: (096) 37957 Farnan: (086) 0830664 Liam: (087) 256 9959 E-mail: [email protected]

Call for quotations on Steel Structure Sheds, Tanks, Houses (new build and refit), Plant Hire etc.All Jobs, Small Jobs, Big Jobs!!

Page 11: Farming September 2011

Suitable for well Boring & PumpInstallation for Geothermal Heat Pumps

Water Pumps and Water Filters also available

Water Drilling - Ballintogher, Co. Sligo

Well Water Drilling Rig

Contact John on 086-7348999

SALEON PUMPS

NOW ONWith the possibility of water rates in the near

future, why not start saving money now!

100ft Well with Pump supplied and fitted for only !2200