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Horace Plunkett and the co-operative movement
Horace Plunkett and the co-operative movement
Horace Plunkett and the Co-operative movement: One man who had a tremendous positive impact on Irish agriculture was Horace Plunkett, who led the introduction of the co-operative movement. In 1889, Plunkett established a co-operative butter-making industry in southwest Ireland, basing his structure on a Scandinavian model. In 1894 Plunkett founded the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society with 33 affiliated dairy co-operative societies or “creameries”. His organisation expanded rapidly; four years later there were 243 affiliated societies. Later, as an MEP at Westminster, he inspired the Recess Committee Report of 1896, which documented failure in Irish agriculture administration. The government eventually accepted his plan, and by the turn of the century the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (DATI) was established, with Plunkett as vice-president. Cooperatives still dominate Irish agriculture; you can learn more from their umbrella organisation, the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) (www.icos.ie) For more on Horace Plunkett, see www.plunkett.co.uk
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal
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Suckler cow and her calf.
Suckler cow and her calf.
A suckler cow pictured with her young calf. The cow would typically give birth (calve) in the Spring and her calf would suckle her milk until the autumn when he or she would be weaned onto a diet of grass and concentrates. The cows are bred to terminal beef sires selected for their carcase growth rate and conformation. The most popular breeds used in the beef cow herd are Charolais, followed by Limousin, Angus, Belgian Blue and Hereford.
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Exports
Exports
Dairy cows pictured grazing the fields at Ring, overlooking Dungarvan bay in Co Waterford. Exports of food and drink from Ireland were worth €8.85 billion in 2011, with dairy and beef accounting for over 60% of the total. In terms of the destination of Irish food and drink exports in 2011, the United Kingdom at 41% was the principal market with sales of just over €3.66 billion. Continental EU markets accounted for 34% of food and drink exports with a combined value estimated in excess of €3 billion.
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Prize bulls at a show
Prize bulls at a show
Beef cattle breeding in Ireland is being advanced by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (www.icbf.com). The organisation, based in Bandon in Co Cork, was established in 1997 and has as its mission “to achieve the greatest possible genetic gain in the national cattle herd for the benefit of Irish farmers and the industry”.
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Countryside
Countryside
The spring barley harvest pictured at Redcross in Co Wicklow, with typical mixed farming countryside and the Irish Sea in the background. Part of the visual appeal of Ireland is that the agricultural land is farmed by an estimated 139,829 family farms. Two thirds of Ireland’s farms are less than 30 hectares in size. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) Farm Structure Survey in 2007 reported an average farm size of 32.3 hectares (75 acres) (www.cso.ie). The Farm Structures Survey involved a sample size of 55,000 farms and was also undertaken in 1991 and 2000. Fresh data on farm sizes will emerge in late 2012 when the full results of the 2010 Census of Agriculture are published.
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal
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Turning the soil
Turning the soil
The soil of Ireland is an immensely valuable, and finite, national resource, which forms and evolves slowly over very long periods of time. It is the basis for almost all farming activity. Soil is a biologically active, complex mixture of weathered minerals, organic matter, organisms, air and water that provides the foundation for life in terrestrial ecosystems. The general consensus is that soil quality in Ireland is good. Irish farmers have a major responsibility to nurture and protect this valuable resource for future generations.
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Tagging
Tagging
Every calf in Ireland must be tagged and registered within 20 days of birth. This unique 12 digit identification number must be maintained throughout the life of the animal and all changes in status or ownership must be notified to the central Animal database maintained by the Department of Agriculture. The system generates 100% traceability which is important for public and animal health protection. The Animal Identification and Movement System (AIM) database produces detailed statistics on the Irish cattle herd each year (www.agriculture.gov.ie).
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Beef calves from a dairy herd.
Beef calves from a dairy herd.
Calves of a beef breed from the dairy herd are an important source of raw materials for the Irish beef industry. Dairy herds breed their best animals to dairy breeds in order to provide replacements, but around 30% of the national dairy herd is mated to a beef sire in order to increase the value of the offspring. Angus and Hereford, which are noted for their ease of calving, are the most popular beef breeds for use in the dairy herd.
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National ploughing championships
National ploughing championships
The National Ploughing Championships (www.npa.ie) take place each year in late September. It has grown into the largest event on the Irish farming calendar. Taking place over three days, the event is about far more than ploughing, with thousands of trade stands, demonstrations and retail outlets aimed at the farming community. The event takes place across a site running to hundreds of acres for the ploughing competitions, car parks and exhibitors. One of the attractions of the event is that it moves around the country to different locations. In 2011, an estimated 200,000 people attended over the three days in Athy, Co Kildare.
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Pigs
Pigs
Pigs farmed for meat are mainly of the breeds Large White and the Landrace. More than half of all pigs are found in just four counties - Cork, Cavan, Tipperary and Waterford. Females that have had one or two litters are called sows. A male is called a boar, whilst a newborn is called a piglet. A group of piglets is called a litter. The meat from pigs is called pork, while cured pig meat is called bacon.
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal