A future for farmers - Remember, buy Irish

CEREAL farmers are enjoying the best and most lucrative harvest in years and after so many disappointing and barely viable years it is hard to begrudge them their modest change in fortunes.

Dairy farmers have seen an improvement in milk prices too but they still have a long way to go before the dizzy heights of earlier years are reached.

This week Ireland’s best young farmers came together and one – Wexford’s Paul Kehoe – was named Young Farmer of the Year.

He and his peers showed an enthusiasm for the work – more a vocation really – that has sustained the sector through good times and bad times.

They, like all young self-employed people, face considerable challenges. In many instances they must hold down an off-farm job to balance the books. There is the worry of what CAP reform will mean too. We should all contribute to securing the future of Irish farming by being fastidious about buying Irish produce.