Deafening silence from our farm org's

bob charles

Maybe I havnt being reading in the right places or listening to the right stations but there is a serious lack of noise coming from our farm organisations about the current beef problems. surely they should be shouting from the roof tops and defending their farmers who are breaking there backsides producing a top quality product that many countries could only dream of producing. Their action certainly isnt up to scratch IMV. Suppose the saying "he who pays the piper, calls the tune" comes to min and its also very difficult to speak with your mouth full.

mf240

Couldn't agree more bob.

Tipp Man

The question is do you
1) make a huge scene over this and have it dragged out in the media and public domain for even longer than necessary or
2) do you try to let it die down as quickly as possible with hopefully the least impact on price and demand

for me option 2) is far and away the better option. Generally the public don't actually seem too bothered by this so hopefully the fall in demand will be small to non existant

It's all well and good creating a fuss in the media but you also have to weigh up the costs of that fuss

However they should be giving Coveney a right earful every oportunity they get

reilig

Does it illustrate the harsh realisation as to who is actually pulling the strings of the farm organisations?

There was some sickening reading in some of last sunday's papers - some of which were linked here over the last 2 days. It can't all be true, but if even the slightest part of it is true then it's a disaster.

I don't think its fair to have a go at any person on this forum just because they have expressed their involvement in a particular organisation. They are not the organisation, nor is the organisation them.

There are several other organisations who should have spoken out before now!!

reilig

Tipp Man wrote: »

The question is do you
1) make a huge scene over this and have it dragged out in the media and public domain for even longer than necessary or
2) do you try to let it die down as quickly as possible with hopefully the least impact on price and demand

for me option 2) is far and away the better option. Generally the public don't actually seem too bothered by this so hopefully the fall in demand will be small to non existant

It's all well and good creating a fuss in the media but you also have to weigh up the costs of that fuss

However they should be giving Coveney a right earful every oportunity they get

A public scene doesn't need to me made, but the organisations could at least feed information privately to their members as to what they are doing and offer some reassurance. After all, the organisations are there primarily for the benefit of their members, not the media or the public.

iverjohnston

Bob Charles,
Yes, its all gone very quiet. The reality is that beef cattle are relatively dear, and horses are relatively cheap. Knowing what we all know about the beef industry, (remember the re-labelling of beef to Russia?) are you surprised at this development?
Iver in Cavan.

blue5000

iverjohnston wrote: »

Bob Charles,
Yes, its all gone very quiet. The reality is that beef cattle are relatively dear, and horses are relatively cheap. Knowing what we all know about the beef industry, (remember the re-labelling of beef to Russia?) are you surprised at this development?
Iver in Cavan.

Quotes dropped a bit this week. Must be getting ready for the spring dairy farmer annual flush......

paddysdream

Do the meat plants not collect many millions each year in "voluntary" contributions for a certain farming organisation?

Its surely not a good policy to bite the hand that feeds you!!.

This levy goes under a few names and its not always clear what the deduction is for.Plus the fact that it is taken from your mart or factory cheque unless you specifically ask for it not to be always struck me as unfair.

Maybe not strictly on topic but hey,conspiracy theories aint always wrong ie maybe sometimes they really are out to get you.

coolshannagh28

This is a great opportunity to switch the balance of power in the beef industry ,but the lack of clamour from the farm lobbys would indicate the the status quo is too comfortable for those well paid to protect farmers interests.
I still think this could be a game changer and would hope that Irish farmers would eventually be rewarded for producing such a quality product .

bob charles

if a example isnt made of this, history will repeat itself again, The only way to hurt (if this happened deliberately) is to hit them in their pockets. Im not singling out anyone of the organisations but all of them cumulatively. Maybe a once off attempt to assure everyone that this wont happen again is needed and I taught we had this already.

Personally I think the IFA (using them as their the largest) should be talking about taking a civil case on behalf of it members and there loss of potential earnings. Such a move would get the attention of the messers. I have factored in how much I expect this to cost me and it a sicking blow to have to take such a hit on the finances because of someone else's **** up.

Sorry lads but Im fuming, as the implications to my farming business maybe catastrophic, through no fault of my own

rancher

Tipp Man wrote: »

The question is do you
1) make a huge scene over this and have it dragged out in the media and public domain for even longer than necessary or
2) do you try to let it die down as quickly as possible with hopefully the least impact on price and demand

for me option 2) is far and away the better option. Generally the public don't actually seem too bothered by this so hopefully the fall in demand will be small to non existant

It's all well and good creating a fuss in the media but you also have to weigh up the costs of that fuss

However they should be giving Coveney a right earful every oportunity they get

And Coveney did get a right earful the night that the news broke.....from about 120 of us at the AGM, and in our last county exec our livestock rep gave those who attended an update, also I told everyone on the horsemeat thread that IFA were trying to play it down, so anyone saying that they are not getting any information is very poor form......... at least you Tipp man have enough cop on to see that option 2 is the best option

bob charles

rancher wrote: »

at least you Tipp man have enough cop on to see that option 2 is the best option

You dont have to be shouting from the roof tops to get your point across, unfortunately I have heard no point being put across. Getting out in the media promoting how good things are on farms regarding standards wouldnt have being too hard to do.

Sweeping this under the carpet will solve short term, only for history to repeat itself again and **** us all up again.

tanko

rancher wrote: »

And Coveney did get a right earful the night that the news broke.....from about 120 of us at the AGM, and in our last county exec our livestock rep gave those who attended an update, also I told everyone on the horsemeat thread that IFA were trying to play it down, so anyone saying that they are not getting any information is very poor form......... at least you Tipp man have enough cop on to see that option 2 is the best option

Are you saying that anyone who doesn't agree with you has no cop on? You have some F***in cheek:mad::mad:

whelan1

tanko wrote: »

Are you saying that anyone who doesn't agree with you has no cop on? You have some F***in cheek:mad::mad:

i gave up reading ranchers replies along time ago as to me he is what the ifa shouldnt be. grew up in a strong ifa house and i have blocked him now

mf240

tanko wrote: »

Are you saying that anyone who doesn't agree with you has no cop on? You have some F***in cheek:mad::mad:

They were waddling around Dublin last year for no reason at all.

make sure when killing cattle to tell your agent not to stop any money for them.

I notice that the lads that take part in all the days out and back slapping from this area are very shabby farmers.

whelan1

mf240 wrote: »

They were waddling around Dublin last year for no reason at all.

make sure when killing cattle to tell your agent not to stop any money for them.

I notice that the lads that take part in all the days out and back slapping from this area are very shabby farmers.

where you a member on boards for the debate on that march. jeeny mac. senior ctizens day out. also a load of hob nobs there to be seen.

mf240

whelan1 wrote: »

where you a member on boards for the debate on that march. jeeny mac. senior ctizens day out. also a load of hob nobs there to be seen.

No wasn't a member but was reading what was the reason they gave for it again.

Was it just to go to Dublin for a look around?

Larry has them in his pocket,

Why not lobby to have some of the staff in the dept of ag moved from duplication of farm inspections and into the inforcement of labelling laws and checking the quality of imports.

bob charles

As I said in my opening post "he who pays the piper, calls the tune", and who pays the piper in this case?

whelan1

survey on farmers journal fb page on what you think of the horsemeat scandal

rancher

mf240 wrote: »

I notice that the lads that take part in all the days out and back slapping from this area are very shabby farmers.

what county are you from......There was no 'shabby farmers' on our buses

Farmer Pudsey

Have to say the IFA are abit too quite on this. Over the years this has been the way with the IFA. The only thing that they seemed excerised at present is to keep high levels of SFP in certain pockets. I know we all want this to blowover as fast as possible but on the other hand unless there are large fines and peneltys given out it will all happen again.

The other issue is that this is a disaster of a year for this to happen. Feeding costs are horrific and alot of farmers are dependant on a significant price rise.

According to Teagasc finishers needed a price in excess of 4.5 euro/KG to break even this year and nearer to 4.8. Do not see that happening now.

Again it will be the primary producer that takes the hit Larry will still make a nice profit.

bob charles

rancher wrote: »

what county are you from......There was no 'shabby farmers' on our buses

Too right Rancher there are no shabby IFA men around here, they are all gentry folk and wouldnt know what work was if it kicked them up the arse.

rancher

bob charles wrote: »

Too right Rancher there are no shabby IFA men around here, they are all gentry folk and wouldnt know what work was if it kicked them up the arse.

Whose voting for us/them,

mf240

well said bob there well able to talk the talk but they have the stockmanship of a librarian.

bob charles

mf240 wrote: »

stockmanship of a librarian.

I love it

rancher

mf240 wrote: »

well said bob there well able to talk the talk but they have the stockmanship of a librarian.

No brownie points for hosting a Irish Grassland conference then, I seemed to have missed your farm walk, I'd say it was good

Username John

rancher wrote: »

No brownie points for hosting a Irish Grassland conference then, I seemed to have missed your farm walk, I'd say it was good

Hi Rancher,

I am sorry to have missed that farm walk on your place...

But on the topic of this thread - I can see the value in staying quiet for now, and not fueling the media. But the IFA would want to be very vocal if it is proven horse meat was knowingly put into burgers.

I hope the IFA have a strategy on what to do / what to push for, if it is proven that horse meat was knowingly put into beef burgers?

rancher

Username John wrote: »

Hi Rancher,

I am sorry to have missed that farm walk on your place...

But on the topic of this thread - I can see the value in staying quiet for now, and not fueling the media. But the IFA would want to be very vocal if it is proven horse meat was knowingly put into burgers.

I hope the IFA have a strategy on what to do / what to push for, if it is proven that horse meat was knowingly put into beef burgers?

Henry Burns was on Frontline last night and he played it really cool but if he had discredited the AOs in the factory, then we'd have a problem, supermarkets would be saying the farmers even don't trust the factory, definitely farmers shouldn't be winding it up.
I'm not really involved since the agm, and there was a lot of pressure put on Coveney to sort it quickly

nashmach

I can see both sides of this arguement but what I can't understand is why the traceability aspects farmers have to go through is not being emphasised even more.

Surely an ad in the Sunday papers to show this wouldn't have hurt....

jomoloney

IFA elections later this year , no doubt some officers have eyes set on a cushy number else where

don't want to rock the boat with a minor issue about a bit of horse meat in a burger

delaval

jomoloney wrote: »

IFA elections later this year , no doubt some officers have eyes set on a cushy number else where

don't want to rock the boat with a minor issue about a bit of horse meat in a burger

Hit the nail on the head, Maloney:)

freedominacup

This pays the piper line is total BS, you find me the labour union that gives a seconds thought to the fact that an employer collects their union sub if action is needed on behalf of their members.

rancher

jomoloney wrote: »

IFA elections later this year , no doubt some officers have eyes set on a cushy number else where

don't want to rock the boat with a minor issue about a bit of horse meat in a burger

One person just maybe (unlikely) going for a position outside of agriculture, but there is at least 8 or 10 that will be looking for your vote for positions within the organisation,
As I've said before, the National Exec is there to make decisions and you might as well support them..... as in Glanbia the organisation has to go with the majority

JohnBoy

Tipp Man wrote: »

The question is do you
1) make a huge scene over this and have it dragged out in the media and public domain for even longer than necessary or
2) do you try to let it die down as quickly as possible with hopefully the least impact on price and demand

I agree. It's very important for our regulators to lead the way in highlighting issues like this, it shows that as a country we do care about the quality of what we produce and therefore we police it.

However, now that the issue has been announced and the food in question recalled then there's little point in dragging things on any longer than nessecary. The farming organisations should have come out hard and fast on this in the days after it happened, but by now the world seems to have moved on, and publicly we should to.

the next thing to be heard about this should be a damming report from the FSA into the source/causes of the problem, the actions taken against them and the measures to prevent it from happening again.

Strong action is needed here, but I dont think making a song and dance at this stage will achieve anything other than give larry a bigger stick to beat with.