The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) is in expansion mode, with plans to establish several new branches across the country.
The association’s national president, Vincent Roddy, told Agriland that there are plans to develop branches in Kerry, Cork and Wicklow in the coming months.
Although the farming organisation already has members the counties, Roddy explained that providing a branch structure will allow farmers to have an active input locally.
Among the locations which are earmarked for a possible new branch is the Dingle Peninsula in west Kerry.
A meeting to explore the proposal has been organised for Tuesday, October 18 in Dingle Mart by former vice-chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) in Kerry, John Joe Fitzgerald.
The west Kerry sheep farmer was among several members of the Kerry IFA county executive who were contacted following a formal complaint being made to IFA headquarters in July.
The following month, Fitzgerald resigned from his position and left the association on medical grounds due to the impact of the matter on his health. He maintains that he has “nothing to be ashamed of” and has “no regrets”.
Fitzgerald has now become a member of the INHFA which he believes is a good fit for the farmers on the Dingle Peninsula.
“They work on behalf of small farmers and hill farmers, if you have issues as a dairy farmer, they will help you out as well. They’re not as big an organisation as I was with, but the way to describe it is their heart is in the right place.
“The way I look at it now is, I will work with them, we’ll set up a branch in west Kerry and take it from there and see how we get on,” Fitzgerald told Agriland.
“Since I left the other farming organisation, a lot of people have contacted me and told me to keep doing what I was doing. I had great support on the ground and I was always supporting the small farmer.
“I said I might as well get back on the bandwagon, it’s pointless staying at home and feeling sorry for myself. There is work to be done for the next generation and especially for the hill farmers.
“They need a voice in west Kerry – and Kerry – to be encouraged and bring the youth with us. That’s my biggest motivation for doing it,” he said.
Fitzgerald said that INHFA president Vincent Roddy and other members of the association will be attending the meeting in Dingle later this month.
“They’ll show what they are all about; they’ll have discussions with the farmers and it will be up to us then if we want to set up a branch in west Kerry and hopefully we will do that on the night,” he added.