IFA issue road safety appeal for silage season

With the silage cutting season underway, the IFA is appealing to drivers of farming machinery and other road users to share the road safely.

“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the lookout for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Alice Doyle said. The IFA is also asking anyone driving farm machinery, especially on rural roads, to cut back on their speed, and not to get distracted.

“I am asking all drivers to be on the lookout for tractors, trailers and other farm machinery on the road. If you are travelling behind farm machinery, please be patient and only overtake when it’s safe to do so,” Alice Doyle said. “Farmers should be aware of traffic building up behind them. It’s important to keep left where possible and safe to do so, to allow other vehicles pass safely”.

Castlerea MART WATCH

600 animals presented for sale on Thursday last with increased numbers of bullocks presented for sale and aided by improved weather conditions and grass growth prices and trade remains very strong.

Bullocks topped out at €1,950, heifers reached €1,980 while the dry cows peaked at €2,550. The weanling rings recorded good clearances with extra farmer activity resulting in a very good trade especially for the quality lots.

Cows with calves at foot made up to €2,920 while the calf ring with good numbers on offer witnessed a good clearance. The number of calves presented for sale remained good for the time of year, with good demand especially for the quality calves. Prices ranged from €5 to €410 for continentals.

Sales continue at Castlerea Mart today (25th) with our weekly sale of bullocks, heifers, cows, calves, runners, and weanling. All sales commence at 11 am with three rings in operation.

Sample prices for bullocks: Ch 490kgs €1620, Ch 400kgs €1580, Lm 350kgs €1500, Ch 380kgs €1490, Ch 510kgs €1760, Lm 535kgs €1700, AA 545kgs €1680, AA 590kgs €1890, AA 550kgs €1800, AA 640kgs €1950, Lm 630kgs €1810, Hex 638kgs €1690, AA 720kgs €1780.

Heifers: Lm 420kgs €1360, Lm 400kgs €1340, Ch 365kgs €1310, BBx 485kgs €1530, Lm 445kgs €1500, Lm 620kgs €1980, Ch 610kgs €1980, Lm 575kgs €1890, AA 565kgs €1790.

Dry cows: Lm 905kgs €2550, Lm 705kgs €2310, Lm 770kgs €2170, Ch 770kgs €2100, Ch 760kgs €2060, Lm 440kgs €1000, SA 465kgs €1060, Fr 615kgs €1390.

Weanling bulls: Lm 290kgs €1120, Ch 280kgs €1010, Lm 295kgs €1000, AAX 255kgs €910, Ch 300kgs €1100, Ch 400kgs €1270, Ch 315kgs €1350, Lm 405kgs €1400.

Weanling heifers: AAx 295kgs €1000, BBx 240kgs €960, Lm 245kgs €810, Lm 385kgs €1250, BBx 305kgs €1240, AA 330kgs €1040, Ch 355kgs €1140.

Roscommon MART WATCH

There was a good entry of stock on offer at last Friday’s Special Bullock Sale with a very strong trade for all classes. We had a smaller number on offer and they fetched an average of €3.01 per kilo up to €4.04 per kilo. There was also a good entry of Dry Cows and they made an average of €2.54 per kilo up to €3.09 per kilo. There was a good attendance of customers at the ringside with online bidders also active.

There was a good entry of top-quality weanlings on offer at our sale held on Tuesday evening last with a strong trade for both bulls and heifers.

Bull weanlings fetched from an average of €2.99 per kilo up to €3.85 per kilo, while heifer weanlings made from an average of €3.02 per kilo up to €4.23. There was a very good attendance of customers ringside with online buyers also active.

We had a similar number of sheep on offer at our weekly sale of lambs and cast ewes.

Prices for spring lambs made up to €174 and finished hoggets peaked at €170. The tops for stag ewes fetched €190.

Please note all sheep must be tagged with a full yellow EID Tag set. Next sale of lambs and cast ewes is next Wednesday, May 31st at 11 am. Yard opens at 8 am. All stock must be penned by 10 am. Sale can be viewed live on www.livestocklive.com.

Sample prices for dry cows: Char X 700kgs €2,080, Char X 950kgs €2,760, SIX 830kgs €2,460, Char X 855kgs €2,450, AAX 870kgs €2,380, HEX

Derelict houses on farmland could help address shortages

Addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture on Revitalising Derelict & Vacant Houses on Farmland, IFA Deputy President Brian Rushe said vacant and derelict homes on farmlands across the country could play a role in dealing with the demand for housing.

“While it might not contribute the most significant quantum of development, it should be possible to bring much needed vacant houses onto the market in locations that will make an impact on housing needs in many towns and villages,” he said.

IFA National Farm Family & Social Affairs Committee Chair Alice Doyle added that the revitalisation of vacant and derelict homes could have a positive effect on the survival of rural communities. She also called for those who are from farms to be allowed to live in their own homes on that farm, whether it be in the re-use of old builds or new builds.

Minister’s assurances are a ‘direct contradiction’ - ICMSA

The President of ICMSA has said

865kgs €2,340, Char X 795kgs €2,260, Char X 600kgs €1,770, Lim X 765kgs €2,120.

Heifers: Char X 360kgs €1,430, Char X 670kgs €2,300, Char X 655kgs €2,260, Lim X 680kgs €2,280, Char X 670kgs €2,280, Char X 765kgs €2,280, Char X 635kgs €2,260, AAX 605kgs €2,000, BBX 490kgs €1,780, Lim X 425kgs €1,550, Lim X 400kgs €1,520, Char X 355kgs €1,380, Lim X 350kgs €1,260, Char X 335kgs €1,160, Char X 315kgs €1,190, Char X 295kgs €1,020, Char X 420kgs €1,420, Char X 450kgs €1,670.

Weanling heifers: Char X 385kgs €1,630 - €4.23 per kg, Char X 320kgs €1,260 - €3.94 per kg, Char X 315kgs €1,220 - €3.87 per kg, Lim X 335kgs €1,170 - €3.49 per kg, Char X 365kgs €1,240 - €3.40 per kg, Lim X 375kgs €1,460 - €3.89 per kg, Char X 365kgs €1,300 – €3.56 per kg, Char X 310kgs

€1,060 - €3.42 per kg.

Weanling bulls: Char X 337kgs €1,300 - €3.85 per kg, Char X 355kg €1,340 - €3.77 per kg, PT 355kgs €1,310 - €3.69 per kg, PTX 350kgs €1,310 - €3.74 per kg, Char X 365kgs €1,290 - €3.53 per kg, Char X 310kgs €1,160 - €3.74 per kg, Char X 310kgs

€1,160 - €3.74 per kg, Char X 290kg €1,080 - €3.72 per kg.

Springs lambs: 54kgs €174, 56kgs €173, 48.5kgs €172, 53.3kgs €172, 48.5kgs €171, 48.7kgs €167, 46.2kgs €165, 44.8kgs €165, 46.3kgs €164, 43.2kgs €162.

Finished hoggets: 68.1kgs €170, 60kgs €168, 62kgs €167, 54.5kgs €165, 77kgs €160, 52kgs €160, 51kgs €150, 46.2kgs €133.

Farming Desk

that Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue’s confidence that any farm rewetting envisaged under the Nature Restoration Act will be voluntary looks to be in direct contradiction of the terms of the Act as published.

Pat McCormack was commenting on assurances given by Minister McConalogue to journalists during the Bord Bia trade mission to China in which the Minister was quoted as saying that he was determined to ensure that “any outcome or any ask of farmers will only be voluntary”.

“As published and as explained, there is

Also, accepted until 5 p.m. on Monday 1st May must be penned by 9.30 a.m. – Gates close at 10 a.m. nothing voluntary about the Nature Restoration Act. The State will be able to apply the law and tell farmers that portions of their land must be rewet in accordance with this law. It is simply not the case that the farmers will be able to reject the suggested actions, as if they were guidelines or recommendations,” Mr McCormack said.

Farmer anger as beef prices ‘heading in wrong direction’

ICSA Beef chair Edmund Graham has said soundings of factories pulling beef prices next week have infuriated farmers who are still producing at below the cost of production.

“After feeding intensively for the last three to four months farmers needed to see prices rising. However, despite assurances at the back end of last year that we would be adequately rewarded when we go to sell, we have actually seen the opposite happen and prices now are just about back at December 2022 levels,” Mr Graham said.

Mr Graham also questioned the continued price gap between Irish and UK prices, and said it is “vital that business is done” on the back of a concerted Irish presence at the SIAL trade show in Shanghai.