Our agri-sector deserves all the praise it gets

THE ploughing championships have become the highlight of the year in the world of agriculture, and is attracting an amazing level of attention from outside of the agricultural world too. Witness the number of urban dwellers and presidential hopefuls who made the trek to Athy this week.

The message coming out of Athy is loud and clear — agriculture is alive and well, making a massive contribution to the Irish economy and will make an even bigger contribution in the future.

From a national economic perspective, and particularly from a rural economic perspective, this is incredibly significant.