All roads lead to the Ploughing Championships next week and the many attractions to be found. We first spoke with Gary Ireland, a Kilkenny based farmer and contestant to hear about weather, soil state and what visitors might experience if they go to the championships.
Noel Dunne, machinery correspondent with the Irish Farmers Monthly brought us on a virtual tour as regards equipment to be seen next week. He spoke about the staggering statistics around the logistics of running this event and gave a sense of the range of equipment to be seen across all makes, models and price ranges.
An ever present issue is that of energy and we were joined by Robert Goss of Solar Electric, a company specializing in solar technologies, an increasing part of modern farming and in the domestic front also. Considerable savings can be made around farms and battery technology is improving all the time. He spoke briefly around the issues of this technology for different types of farming and will be at the ploughing to offer guidance and assistance.
Clodagh Duggan of UPMC Whitfield joined us to discuss the services and advice available to people in the SE region provided by UPMC Whitfield, a private hospital service in Waterford. She spoke in particular around the health issues faced in farming, inparticular around joint pain management and concussion. UPMC Whitfield have been regular visitors to the Ploughing and will be agaon on site to provide advice ad guidance. They’ll be at Block 3, Row 33, stand 671
Matt spoke with Adam Woods, livestock editor with the Irish Farmers Journal about the current state of play as regards the ongoing beef dispute. He spoke in particular about the effects on kills and cash flow in the current climate.
George Candler was in studio to deliver the Kilkenny Mart report and Eric Driver gave an update on Tullow Mart sales prices.