2001 ‘most significant farming year’
As part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, readers were invited to vote for the most memorable farming years since the magazine was first published in 1975.
Top of the list was 2001 because of the foot and mouth outbreak, followed by 2003 and the reform of Common Agricultural Policy and 1992 with the McSharry CAP reforms.
Also within the top five most memorable years are 1980 due to the march of 60,000 farmers in Limerick to protest over low incomes and 1984 due to the introduction of milk quotas.
David Markey, chief executive of publishers IFP Media, said Irish Farmers Monthly was initially launched to capitalise on Ireland joining the then European Economic Community.
Current World President of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists, he established the magazine in 1975.
Irish Farmers Monthly, with a readership of 115,000 from a circulation of nearly 30,000, will shift from retail sales to direct mail order in January.
Minister Mary Coughlan said the agri-food industry made great progress over the last three decades with €16 billion output last year and exports of over €7bn.
Today the industry exports food and drink to over 100 countries.
“Challenges still lie ahead for Irish farming. There is a trend towards part time farming and decoupling will lead to a larger number of viable farms in the future,” said Minister Coughlan.
