Ploughing draws in record crowds

A RECORD 166,000 people attended the three-day national ploughing championships at Annaharvey, Tullamore, Co Offaly, the managing director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) disclosed last night.

Anna May McHugh said 80,000 people were estimated to have attended the event on Wednesday, with 45,000 present on Tuesday and a further 41,000 yesterday.

“People told us they had never seen the likes of the crowds that were present on Wednesday,” she said, adding the NPA was pleased with both the ploughing competitions and the trade display.

Accepting motorists experienced long delays in getting off the site on Wednesday, she said this was due to the sheer volume of bumper to bumper traffic.

Ms McHugh said a serious threat to the championships, which are to be held at Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny, next year, has emerged because grassland cannot be ploughed under the nitrates directive during periods from October to January, when many qualifying events take place.

Derogation from this requirement is being sought by the NPA from the European Commission through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for about 100 acres so the qualifiers can be held during the relevant period.

Meanwhile, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) revealed Irish people spend more on off-licence drink than on basic food.

President of the ICMSA Jackie Cahill said the impact of increased milk and grain prices on food prices is exaggerated by politicians and commercial interests.

“The reality is food spending amounts to 11% of total consumer spend. In the past, food prices increased despite falling farm prices and decreasing food commodity prices internationally,” he said.

Mr Cahill said milk and cheese account for a mere 1.2% of total spend.

“Even if the price of these were to increase by 50% it would add a mere 0.6% to the cost of living. Irish people now spend more on alcoholic drink than on food, and off-licence sales of alcoholic drink alone at 6% amount to more than the cost of bread and cereals, dairy products and meat.”