Traditions, as Liam Delaney knows all too well, are important.
On his farm in Co. Laois it is easy to see that Christmas traditions are the order of the day for him, his wife and their four children.
Like every farmer across the country he is hoping for an uneventful holiday period, with lots of family time, including with his mum and dad who, although both in their 70s, help out on a daily basis on the farm.
He has been farming since he was about five years old, following in his dad’s footsteps and keeping loyal to the values and traditions handed down to him – to always respect the land and to constantly strive to leave it in a better place.
But for Liam and farmers throughout the country, what is foremost in their minds as the year draws to a close, is the decisions that will not be theirs to make in 2023.
Climate pressures
Emissions targets, the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) requirements and the constant worry over rising costs outside of their control are among the key factors on the horizon for farmers over the next 12 months.
Like many across the country he has seen farm input costs soar and he has invested heavily in environmental measures from solar panels to home-grown feed to offset these and become more sustainable.
But regardless of what may be around the corner Liam, who is the chairman of Laois Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) environmental committee, has never regretted his choice of livelihood.
“The reason I am a farmer is because my dad was a full-time farmer, if he hadn’t been a full time farmer and I had come home from school everyday and there had been no-one outside, it wouldn’t have been the same,” he explained.
“Daddy was here full-time and that’s what I want to be for my kids too. That’s really important to me because I am always thinking about the next generation.
“My grandfather bought this place in 1970 and I want to be able to leave it in a better position; my dad wanted to do the same, he worked all his life here and I want to keep it sustainable and keep it a family farm,” Liam added.
Even though traditions are important to him he is not afraid to step away from them if it makes sense.
“We switched from suckler cows to dairy cows in 2000 and that was purely for sustainability reasons. My dad was getting older, my kids were getting older and I was thinking about the day they hopefully will head off to college.
“If I had stayed where I was in beef I would have been very vulnerable and I might have had to go and get a part-time job which I don’t want to do.
“I feel sorry for part-time farmers. I’ve four kids and I love spending time with them. In the evening times I can bring them to matches or to their Irish dancing, to choir or swimming, but if you are a part-time farmer you are working all hours at night to catch up, then you’re up in the morning to go to work and then you’re working Saturday and Sunday to catch up,” he added.
“I think from a lifestyle and family life it is very difficult for part-time farmers.
“For some of course there is no choice because they want to keep the farm, it’s in their genes and they need the income, and I can understand that, because when I was in beef I also did some contract work and I had that sideline to keep it all going,” he said.
Climate Action Plan
Liam hopes that the move into dairy will mean that he will have his debts paid off by next year.
“I’m in a better position going forward but there are still a lot of pressures the new Climate Action Plan will have a big impact on farmers, for some farmers the new CAP cuts are going to crucify them and really European money – all the subsidies are all linked to environmental issues and moving away from production.
“Whatever is coming next is a concern for farmers – any full-time farmer is concerned about creating enough income to rear their kids,” he added.
He said the constant pressures on the agricultural sector in relation to emissions targets and regulations is now going to “dictate everything” in the future.
“Every farmer is against cutting herd numbers but there’s the pressure there to reach the emissions targets. I think it is very hard to consider that this would mean cutting a herd that’s small and productive to reach those targets.
“We do need to get rid of the poorer productive cows in the system which would mean that you would get the same amount of milk if you improve breeding a bit and get rid of 10% of the poor performing cows,” he continued.
“What we need is higher yielding cows, higher quality cows and we need to get rid of the poorer performing cows in the system, but not cutting herds in general,” Liam added.
On his own farm he said he will not be able to keep his usual 100-cow herd because of new regulations .
“We’ll only be able to keep 83 cows on this farm on the same block of land – so unless we get more land we have to make changes,” he added.
“You have to be as efficient as you can and get the best out of your land – my generation of farmers is going back to the way farming was in Ireland years ago. We’re doing away with intensive stocking rates, fertilisers and pesticides and yet we’re still facing the challenge of having to feed more people than ever before all around the world.
“The green agenda is pushing away from food production, there is a very fine line between over production and under production of food.”
Liam feels that what this really means is that on one hand there is pressure to keep prices down for consumers, but on the other, the financial supports are disappearing.
“When my dad’s generation see all the paperwork and regulations and how this impacts particularly on low income sectors, then it just shows how very different farming is today,” he explained.
“My grandfather used to say years ago when subsidies came in first, you were better off getting paid for your product and taking no subsidy, and I think some farmers may be of that view again today,” he said.
Looking ahead
Liam hopes that 2023 will see a change in attitude towards Irish farmers from some who keep pointing the finger at them in relation to the emissions targets.
“I would like people to see the good work that farmers are doing for the environment in 2023 – we need people to speak out for farmers because farmers want to be sustainable, they want to be efficient because they are working hard to hand their farms to the next generation so they will make changes and they will move with the times.
“Farmers play a huge part in their local community, if there’s less full-time farmers in 10 years time, what does that mean for local communities and for the small family farm that really contributes to their local community?” Liam stated.