A FARMER’S practical solution to ear tag loss on cattle sent to the mart is being suggested to the veterinary section of the Department of Agriculture.

FARMER opposition has emerged to the Department of Agriculture’s plan to change over to electronic transfer for all payments they make to farmers.

THE Féile Bia scheme for premises which undertake to serve quality assured foods may be scrapped, says IFA national livestock committee chairman John Bryan.

SPECIAL concessions for dairy farmers who exceed their milk quotas at the end of the EU production year, on March 31 next, have been ruled out.

LIQUID milk suppliers now get only quarter of the retail price of milk, according to Limerick IFA member David Thompson, Pallasgreen.

NITRATE directive controls on soiled water have been further muddied by claims that farmers without livestock are being targeted for inspection.

ALL FARMS in river catchment areas are being inspected by Limerick County Council, in an effort to eliminate pollution risks from farm effluent.

MANY of the 38,000 calls to the Samaritans in Limerick during 2006 came from farmers.

SPENDING one or two years in agricultural college is all very well, but don’t expect it to do anything for your credibility if you ever end up in court over some farming matter, even if you have decades of farming experience.

INTENSE pressure within IFA to intensify the campaign against unfair farm inspections has come to a head in the association’s Limerick Executive.

A FLOOD of complaints from farmers not getting replacement cost for reactors has led to IFA pursuing compensation issues at Department and EU level.

FARMERS in Co Limerick have renewed efforts to get alleged high livestock mortality levels around Askeaton investigated after Bord Pleanala has been told of high demand for livestock knackery services in the area.

FARMER opposition is building to retain electro-immobilisation for treatment of livestock.

A WARNING that the requirement for a contractor C2 on completion of the work could leave farmers undertaking farm improvements high and dry for grant payments has been issued.

FARMERS have insisted they be allocated carbon credits for their forestry plantations and for reducing their livestock herds.

A PILOT programme of independent monitoring of milk testing is back on track, after a change of heart by Teagasc.

SHEEPMEAT processors in the mid-west region are to be asked to justify a €1.50 per head charge for scrapie testing of ewes.

LIMERICK IFA has asked the association’s National Council to investigate the insurance levy collected on all livestock slaughtered at meat plants.