The centrality of agriculture in our society and economy was reaffirmed by two events yesterday.

The Government, Teagasc, and the farm organisations should be doing everything to maintain most of our current dairy farmers viably — but they are not doing so.

Teagasc is aiming to provide for an increased intake of 640 students this year at the country’s six agricultural colleges — an increase of 24 on last year’s numbers.

JUST last month, as EU leaders met in emergency session to try to stave off the collapse of Italy’s economy, Brian Kavanagh, the chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), was paid the balance of bonuses for 2008 and 2009.

THOUSANDS of farmers are still awaiting receipt of payment under the Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFP) and the Disadvantaged Area Scheme (DAS), despite the Department of Agriculture’s insistence the payments are rolling out on schedule.

FARMERS have been left without farm or pension by last week’s suspension of the early retirement scheme, according to the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA).

A BUDGET of €28 million a year has been allocated to fund a proposed supplementary measure for the sheep sector.

IRISH sheepmeat exports declined by 5% or almost 2,000 tonnes for the first eight months of 2006 compared to the same period last year, according to latest Central Statistics Office figures.

FARMERS and the agri industry are to get an extra €227 million next year, a 16% increase which brings the expenditure for the area to almost €1.7 billion.

THE Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) national council approved the new national agreement Towards 2016 at a special meeting in Limerick.

MACRA na Feirme has welcomed the announcement by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan that up to 30% of milk quota will be set aside for young farmers under the new regime.