Seminars to focus on management options for struggling farmers

MANY farmers in Co Cork are facing a winter where cash-flow is tight as a result of low commodity prices and difficult weather conditions during the year.

The warning was issued by IFA Munster vice president Sean O’Leary who was announcing a number of joint IFA/Teagasc information seminars for farmers in the county next week to discuss the best management options to steer through these difficult times.

Mr O’Leary said an excellent panel of speakers from the IFA, Teagasc, IFAC and the main banks would be attending the meetings to provide farmers with advice.

Issues such as restructuring of farm finances, provision of adequate feed supplies, preparing for tax returns at the end of the month, and farm assist are all topics that will be dealt with at these meetings.

Mr O’Leary said he would especially like to encourage farmers’ wives to attend these seminars with their husbands as the record keeping and paperwork on many farms often falls to them.

“Farmers must remain optimistic for their future in farming, but in the meantime there are a number of hurdles that need to be crossed.

“These meetings will hopefully provide farmers with a renewed focus to manage their way through the challenges in the months ahead,” he said.

The meetings will commence on Tuesday, October 6, in the Oriel Hotel, Ballincolllig, and continue on Wednesday in The Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway.

The meetings will conclude on October 8 in Corrin Mart, Fermoy.

All the meetings will start at 8pm.