Kilkenny dairy farmer Danny Houlihan.
Danny Houlihan,
Co Kilkenny – Dairy
“It was a great year. It’s been better than the last four or five years with the dry summers. I wouldn’t be stocked over heavy. I’ve a small number [of livestock].
“Grass was just bombing it the whole time. Anyone, even all my local farmers around me, and some who had to feed over the last couple of years, didn’t have to feed this summer.
“Milk prices, last year was a great year. The smart farmer will keep a bit, put a bit aside for a year like this year.”
Megan and Larry O’Rourke at Ploughing 2023.
Larry O’Rourke,
Co Roscommon – Sheep
“The weather impacted the sheep badly this year. There was too much dry weather at the start, then too much wet weather. There was bad thrive and it held lambs back.
“We are cutting back this year compared to what we used to have.
“I don’t think Government are performing, especially this agriculture minister. This sheep scheme is a joke. Having to give an extra €2 for our sheep in the scheme and you’ve to buy rams that are costing €800 to €1,000, it’s a pure joke.”
(L-R) Gavin, Oliver and David Devery at the Ploughing.
Oliver Devery,
Co Offaly – Beef
“We’re gone into organics. I’m only starting into it and new into it.
“There’s more money in going organic; the scheme payment, the price of fertiliser.
“With the Shannon beside us, we lost a lot of land with the flooding this summer. We’d 10ac in it there, all in water.
“We’ll be tight for fodder but we’ll have to struggle on.”
Seán O'Sullivan at the Ploughing.
Seán O’Sullivan,
Co Kerry - Sucklers
“I was up at six o’clock to get here from Killarney. I come every year, mostly for the new inventions. I work in the industry and I like to keep updated. I’m a part-time farmer too with a few sucklers.
“The suckler man doesn’t get the full cost and margins are very light when it comes to suckling. Sucklers are not viable for young people to try and raise a family.
“It could be an early winter, with the way the weather looks at present.”
Diarmuid Manning at the Ploughing.
Diarmuid Manning,
Co Cork – Dairy
“Nitrates will be a big problem. I’ll have to get more ground, and where the ground is going to come from is the problem.
“From the maps that they put out, it is hard to tell exactly where the [220kg N/ha] line is, it should be more defined. I’m borderline as to whether I am in or out and the zones will just create two-tier farming. One lad will have more of an advantage than another, it’s creating an unfair playing field.”
Kilkenny dairy farmer Danny Houlihan.
Danny Houlihan,
Co Kilkenny – Dairy
“It was a great year. It’s been better than the last four or five years with the dry summers. I wouldn’t be stocked over heavy. I’ve a small number [of livestock].
“Grass was just bombing it the whole time. Anyone, even all my local farmers around me, and some who had to feed over the last couple of years, didn’t have to feed this summer.
“Milk prices, last year was a great year. The smart farmer will keep a bit, put a bit aside for a year like this year.”
Megan and Larry O’Rourke at Ploughing 2023.
Larry O’Rourke,
Co Roscommon – Sheep
“The weather impacted the sheep badly this year. There was too much dry weather at the start, then too much wet weather. There was bad thrive and it held lambs back.
“We are cutting back this year compared to what we used to have.
“I don’t think Government are performing, especially this agriculture minister. This sheep scheme is a joke. Having to give an extra €2 for our sheep in the scheme and you’ve to buy rams that are costing €800 to €1,000, it’s a pure joke.”
(L-R) Gavin, Oliver and David Devery at the Ploughing.
Oliver Devery,
Co Offaly – Beef
“We’re gone into organics. I’m only starting into it and new into it.
“There’s more money in going organic; the scheme payment, the price of fertiliser.
“With the Shannon beside us, we lost a lot of land with the flooding this summer. We’d 10ac in it there, all in water.
“We’ll be tight for fodder but we’ll have to struggle on.”
Seán O'Sullivan at the Ploughing.
Seán O’Sullivan,
Co Kerry - Sucklers
“I was up at six o’clock to get here from Killarney. I come every year, mostly for the new inventions. I work in the industry and I like to keep updated. I’m a part-time farmer too with a few sucklers.
“The suckler man doesn’t get the full cost and margins are very light when it comes to suckling. Sucklers are not viable for young people to try and raise a family.
“It could be an early winter, with the way the weather looks at present.”
Diarmuid Manning at the Ploughing.
Diarmuid Manning,
Co Cork – Dairy
“Nitrates will be a big problem. I’ll have to get more ground, and where the ground is going to come from is the problem.
“From the maps that they put out, it is hard to tell exactly where the [220kg N/ha] line is, it should be more defined. I’m borderline as to whether I am in or out and the zones will just create two-tier farming. One lad will have more of an advantage than another, it’s creating an unfair playing field.”
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: