SHARING OPTIONS: It was very bad judgement by the Department to announce this grant with knowledge that the vast majority will not have access to it. \ CJ Nash
The Department of Agriculture’s IT grant for marts has been branded a “publicity stunt” following the confirmation that only two applications had been submitted to the scheme by late June.
“Most marts invested heavily in improving their IT infrastructure during 2020, with the necessity to getting business online. The funding needed to be retrospective,” Ray Doyle of ICOS told the
Irish Farmers Journal.
May 15, 2021, 1:00 pm
On Monday (May 17) a limited amount of both sellers and buyers will return to ringside to trade cattle in marts.
Like a lot of people during this Covid-19 pandemic, farmers had one of their weekly social events brought to an abrupt halt for a number of months, back in the spring of 2020.
With the constant change in restriction levels, it did see marts reopen for a brief period during the months of November and December. However this was short lived as the full lockdown returned in January and farmers were once again forced to rely on online bidding to source their animals.
SHARING OPTIONS:
ICOS has asked farmers to only travel to the mart if it is absolutely essential. \ Philip Doyle
With farmers due to return to marts next Monday, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has warned that buyers and sellers need to be realistic in their expectations under the less-restrictive COVID-19 protocols.
Many farmers, especially those who have received vaccines, have been contacting mart managers across the country indicating their intention to attend the mart next week,” ICOS livestock and environmental services executive Ray Doyle has said.
We’re not out of the woods just yet
“This is almost at pre-COVID levels and possibly due to the sense of security that the ongoing vaccine rollout is creating. However, we’re not out of the woods just yet.”
Visits to farming marts next week should only be for essential purposes
Wexford farmers are being reminded that while a sense of normality will return to the marts next week, we’re not out of the woods yet.
That’s the message from the Irish Co-operative Society who are reminding buyers and sellers to follow the guidelines when they’re allowed back from Monday.
ICOS are asking farmers to only travel to a mart if the visit is essential and is warning that general visitors and observers should not attend.
Ray Doyle is the Livestock & Environmental Services Executive of ICOS.