Members of the Farm Contractors of Ireland (FCI) will close their yards from today, Monday, March 16, until further notice as part of national efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).
In a statement on its Facebook page, the FCI said that all contractors should contact their clients advising them of this development.
The statement said: “In view of the current situation and the Government instructions regarding the fight against coronavirus, we inform you that our contractor yards will be closed to the public from Monday, March 16, until further notice.
In the meantime, we are fully aware of the need to continue to provide you with our services.
“For any work orders/instructions, please contact us by phone or email to allow us to take care of your request in the best possible conditions,” the FCI advised.
The organisation said that it was awaiting “final guidance notes from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine…against the background of the need for care and good work practices due to the warnings about coronavirus and its impact on farm activities”.
“Please remember that the health of our teammates / machine operators is our priority,” the FCI stressed.
The FCI is asking farmers and contractor clients to heed the following advice:
- No hand contact or shaking hands – if possible pass the instructions over the phone;
- Maintain a minimum of 2m safety distance;
- Cough into your elbow;
- Do not get in the tractor cabin with the drivers;
- All invoices for work done will be emailed or posted and payments should be made directly to the contractor’s bank accounts.
“We know that the spring period is a period of huge importance for your farm activities as well as ours. Be assured that we will do our best to bring you the best farm contractor service for your farm despite these new constraints,” the FCI statement said.