Co. Wicklow native Michael Ryan has been elected as the new president of the Agricultural Consultants’ Association (ACA).
Ryan assumed the role at the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) at the County Arms Hotel in Birr, Co. Offaly last week (Thursday, March 7).
He takes over from outgoing ACA president Noel Feeney, who completed his two-year term as president at the AGM.
The new ACA president started as a private consultant in 1995, following the rollout of the original Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS).
He then joined the ACA in 2007, and was elected to the council in 2016.
Having served as vice-president for the last two years, Ryan has now has been elected president.
Speaking to Agriland, Ryan said: “ACA is undergoing a process of change given a change in circumstances of farming.
“It would be my hope to continue to develop the organisation to meet the needs of its members and of our farmer clients.”
Ryan referred to the several challenges the ACA is facing going into the two years of his term.
With 200 ACA advisors helping over 50,000 farmers, Ryan said dealing with the rollout of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has “been a challenge” through the new schemes.
Ryan said that dealing with “new computerised schemes” in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has been a challenging, but that those at the ACA are “up to the challenge” of helping farmers in assisting with their participation in agricultural schemes.
Ryan said the 9,000 new entrants to tranche 2 of the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) was “a very positive step”.
Coming from the area of Dunlavin in Co. Wicklow, Ryan is familiar with all farming sectors, including sheep, beef, some tillage, and dairying, which Ryan said was important in the area as it once supplied the old Dublin milk market.
Referring to the farmers from all sectors that he and his colleagues at the ACA encounter on a daily basis, Ryan said “anything that comes across the doorway, we’ll have to deal with it”.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue offered his congratulations to Noel Feeney on the completion of his term as ACA president.
Minister McConalogue said: “I want to thank Noel for his engagement with my department and I over the course of his term.
“This encompassed the period in which we rolled out the new CAP, which brought some challenges that impacted the ACA membership.
“With secretary general Breian Carroll, Noel helped everyone involved navigate those challenges,” Minister McConalogue added.