MACRA na Feirme and Teagasc have come together to develop a new leadership training module which will be included in all of the latter’s college courses in September.

FARMING organisations have objected to the decision by the Department of Agriculture to publish the name and home town of farmers who received payments under the Common Agricultural Policy.

A MAJOR new initiative to encourage new entrants to dairy farming was announced yesterday by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.

MACRA na Feirme’s strength is its members, according to its newly elected president, Michael Gowing, a 30-year-old dairy and beef farmer from Portlaoise.

FARMERS have taken a hard hit in the budget, their leaders claimed last night as they studied the various measures.

MACRA na Feirme’s national debating competition is again being supported by the National Forum on Europe.

THE Agricultural Science Association (ASA) has called for an immediate updating of the agricultural science syllabus for Leaving Certificate students.

THE race is on to find the successor to Catherine Buckley as national president of Macra na Feirme.

A RADICAL cost-cutting plan that will include a voluntary early retirement scheme for 120 staff and the non-replacement of some 100 others who will retire over the next few years was agreed in principle by the Teagasc authority at a meeting in Carlow yesterday.

IFA PRESIDENT Padraig Walshe has demanded that no farmer who undertook a Farm Waste Management Scheme contract in good faith loses out as a result of the Government decision to stagger grant payments from the scheme.

THE Irish Farmers Association yesterday gave Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith until tomorrow to come up with a solution to the farm waste management payments crux.

THE immediate payment of the farm waste management grants would effectively represent a significant recapitalisation of the main banks, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association claimed yesterday.

A 20% CUT in the cost base was urged yesterday by Irish Farmers’ Association.

IT is important in today’s environment to encourage and recognise people who are providing leadership in their own communities, Macra na Feirme president Catherine Buckley has stressed.

RURAL drivers and young motorists have warned against using harsh road safety proposals to overhaul the provisional driving system.

TARGETED supports from the EU for the butter market are urgently needed, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) declared yesterday.

FARM families have been reminded by Macra na Feirme president Catherine Buckley to remain vigilant when it comes to farm safety over the holiday period.

THE issue of farmers who had installation aid applications in the pipeline, but not completed prior to the suspension of the scheme on October 15 will now be addressed.

A SINGLE state laboratory to centralise the farming-related work currently conducted by myriad other offices is being proposed by Fine Gael.

ENNIS will be the venue for the next regional protest by the Irish Farmers Association against the budget cuts in farm schemes.

A DEATH warrant for farmers and another direct hit on farm incomes on top of the Government’s own budget cuts was how farm leaders described the latest CAP agreement.

YOUNG farmers are leading growing demands for a big protest in Dublin over the suspension of the installation aid and early retirement schemes in the budget.

A PETITION calling for the complete re-opening of farm schemes suspended in the budget is being taken up by Macra na Feirme among young farmers countrywide for presentation to Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

A FURTHER extension of the period for the spreading of livestock manure, which includes farmyard manure and slurry, was announced yesterday.

THE decisions to suspend new applications for Early Retirement and Young Farmer Installation schemes for 2009 were taken reluctantly, Food Minister Brendan Smith told the Macra na Feirme rally in Salthill, Galway.

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).

THE Irish Farmers Association last night accused the Government of leaving farm schemes with a €400 million shortfall for next year.

MEASURES to achieve a viable farming structure are being sought by the farm lobby in next Tuesday’s budget.

FARMERS should be given flexibility to spread slurry and farmyard manure for the remainder of the year owing to the very wet weather recently.

MACRA na Feirme has called on the boards of all co-op societies to review their structure in terms of including young people.

Nine out of ten young farmers have always wanted to work in agriculture, a new survey revealed today.

YOUNG farmers are the future life blood of the industry and must be supported, according to Macra na Feirme.

THE decline of new entrants to farming is about to change, Macra na Feirme president Catherine Buckley has predicted.

A 34-YEAR-OLD dairy and beef producer from near Claremorris, Co Mayo, who has been chosen as Ireland’s Young Farmer of the Year, believes there is a bright future for agriculture.

MACRA na Feirme announced that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will chair the final adjudication panel at the Young Farmer of the Year awards in Kilkenny next month.

Macra Na Feirme is calling on members of the public to take some time to get to know your neighbours this weekend.

MACRA NA FEIRME has welcomed the changes to dairy partnerships which were announced yesterday by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith.

THERE were mixed reactions yesterday to the dairy sector proposals in the Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy.

IT WAS almost inevitable that allocation of the 2% increase in milk quota would be divisive among farmers.

THE allocation of the 2% increase in milk quota was described by Macra na Feirme president Catherine Buckley as a lost opportunity by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan to bring about real restructuring to the dairy industry.

ADDITIONAL milk quota must be targeted at young farmers — those entering dairying and those already in the industry, Macra na Feirme has insisted.

A PROPOSAL announced yesterday by the European Commission to increase milk quotas across the EU by 2% from April 1 next would be worth €35 million a year in creamery cheques to Irish dairy farmers on current average prices.

THE revised measures for calculating vehicle registration and motor tax, announced by Environment Minister John Gormley, must not disadvantage farmers or rural dwellers, Macra na Feirme president Catherine Buckley has warned.

FUNDING must continue to be made available to allow the farm improvement scheme to operate up to 2013, according to Macra na Feirme president Catherine Buckley.