Poor weather forces changes to the summer’s agri show calendar

THE wet weather has led to the postponement of Sunday’s agricultural show in Ballingeary, Co Cork, but Limerick Show will go ahead as scheduled on the same day at Greenpark Racecourse in Patrickswell, Co Limerick.

Ballingeary Show Committee decided at a meeting to reschedule its 46th annual event for Saturday, August 29.

Show PRO Mary Rose O’Mahony said the committee regretted the inconvenience, but looked forward to welcoming all on the new date.

Meanwhile, Ireland East member of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness will officially open Limerick Show at noon on Sunday.

All the showing classes in the cattle, horses, ponies, sheep and goats sections will take place on Sunday.

The only activity scheduled on Saturday is pony and horse jumping.

Over 500 cattle entries and over 400 horses have been entered for the show, one of the longest running in the country.

The wet weather of the past 48 hours has interrupted harvest work in parts of the country.

However, over 20% of spring barley has been cut nationally.

Meanwhile, European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has written in her internet blog that it has been a very busy summer as always.

“I know most of my colleagues are also taking the time to relax and recharge their batteries away from Bruxelles.

“Myself, I have gone back to my farm in Denmark which is now run by my daughter and her husband.

“We are still not done with the wheat harvest as the weather has been trying its best to interrupt the process with frequent rain,” the commissioner writes.

“I see that most of the northern and central part has been affected the same as we have by rain which makes it a stop-start exercise in patience, with the early wheat harvest being impacted by the weather in terms of output and quality.

“According to some market reports, the rape seed market seems to have been plunging rapidly down with a better than expected harvest.

“I also see that the barley yield and quality is very good this season with between a good increase in yield and an anticipated surplus for the harvest.

“It is always great to have a good harvest and see the grain sheds full but it does have an influence on the market.”

“The biggest drawback has been the sad news from our southern European member states that are struggling with the ever recurrent problem of forest fires. Lives and livelihoods have been lost.

“The damages are heart-breaking and I would like to take the opportunity to send my thoughts of encouragement to those touched by the fires.”