A forum on fodder and mental well-being – which will feature a panel of some of the top names in Irish agriculture – will be held at this year’s Cappamore Show this weekend.
Set to take place tomorrow (Saturday, August 18) at the Showgrounds in Ballyvoreen, Cappamore, Co. Limerick, the Cappamore Show has a jam-packed schedule for attendees.
The forum in particular however, may strike a chord with farmers nationwide, dealing with serious problems to arise this year.
AgriLand spoke to one of the main organisers of the forum, Robert Holmes, ahead of the event: “We’re having Tony Buckley, former rugby with Munster and Ireland, is going to be there; he’s a man who suffered from depression and he’s going to talk on how he dealt with that.
“One of the suggestions we’ve made to him was that he’d help our farmers on how they’d get a good night’s sleep.
“Because, being realistic about it, every farmer in the country at the moment is stressed,” Robert explained.
They don’t have enough fodder, the weather hasn’t been agreeable to them, and it’s a time of the year when they should be plain sailing – but they’re not.
“They’re feeding extra meal, they’re feeding silage, they’re not getting enough money for their produce, be it beef or any grains or anything like that; the income is going to be greatly down this year, so they’re stressed.”
Jim Woulfe, the Dairygold CEO, will reiterate for farmers what the co-op is trying to do for them, Robert said.
“The Minister for Agriculture will also be there. The intention is that he’s speaking on how the department is trying to help farmers and what it is doing.
“We’re hoping then that the minister will go up to a tent being run between IFA, Teagasc and Dairygold in relation to one-to-one contact with farmers and advice on fodder and a survey as regards to what farmers have.”
Robert added that there will also be a video presentation on mental well-being.
Martin Stapleton, IFA Farm Business chair, will head up a business element to the event, Robert said, noting that there have been stories that farmers are having difficulties with banks.
Senator Kieran O’Donnell, who is also a member of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, will be present to hear farmers’ concerns on banking issues.
The live forum will begin at 2:00pm, while the tent run by Teagasc, the IFA and Dairygold will be up and running from 10:30-11:00am, for farmers who want to come in and talk.
Kerry Agribusiness and the ICMSA will have people around, as well as local feed companies, during the course of the day to meet farmers and see how they’re doing, Robert said.
“As an industry we have to unite and try and get through to next March – it isn’t something that one organisation can tackle on its own because that won’t be possible,” Robert contended.
We have to unite as an industry to try and get through this winter that’s going to come and get over the hurdles that are facing us at the moment.
Robert stressed that the day is not just for farmers but for all involved in agriculture, such as farmers’ spouses, farmers’ children and sales people: “They’re all welcome to tell their story or listen in,” he said.