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What's New

All Change at Leitrim

Leitrim Organic Farmers Co-operative recently underwent a complete change of management following an EGM held in Drumshanbo. The existing board of management resigned and were replaced by a larger committee.

The new officers are John McCauley, Chairman; Martin Reading, Secretary and Gerald Glidea, Treasurer. The co-operative was set up primarily to market meat products for its members but has met with limited success in this area. At present a Social Economy Scheme provides staffing for the co-op and it is also involved in a number of other publicly funded projects such as the Skillnet Programme which is designed to provide training for organic producers.

Former chairman Ted Mole expressed his disappointment on behalf of the outgoing board 'We found it difficult to progress because the board was prevented from acting effectively and implementing policy' he said. 'I am very disappointed that it wasn't put on a more commercial footing for the sake of the farmers in the area. We had sporadic success in marketing our meat but maintaining any of these initiatives proved difficult'. He feels that farmers will not be able to avail of the benefits of the skillnets programme because of the financial cost involved.

Despite the fact that the programme has received a significant level of funding, participants are required to pay to join the programme as well as having to pay for individual training modules.

Call for national debate on GM

"We need a national debate on the GM issue," says Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Martin Ferris in response to Ireland's vote at the EU in favour of allowing GM crops into Europe. Ireland is one of only six EU countries which recently voted in favour of allowing GM crops into Europe. Sinn Féin is opposed to the growing of GM crops in Ireland and Ferris is annoyed that the present government took this step without any reference to the Dail.

"There was no debate in the Oireachtas on GM foods," says Ferris "Neither was there any discussion on the agriculture or health committees."

Boost for organic salmon

The recent bad publicity surrounding the contamination of Scottish farmed salmon has caused a boom in the sales of Irish organic salmon. 'Our sales in the UK almost doubled as a result' says Declan Droney of Kinvara Smoked Salmon Ltd. Irish-farmed salmon has a good reputation abroad as the industry is perceived as being much smaller and less intensive than it is in the UK.

'Much of the salmon farmed in Scotland is produced in sheltered inlets where there is little movement or exchange of water 'says Droney. 'It's like producing in a goldfish bowl. It can take years for the water to change and as a result the water becomes contaminated.'

In contrast the organic salmon sold by the Kinvara Company are produced four miles out at sea off Clare Island where the constant flow of water insures that there is no opportunity for the build of contaminants.

Fewer animal travellers

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), Ireland's leading farm animal welfare group, welcomed the recent vote by the European Parliament to support a 9 hour overall journey limit for animals travelling to slaughter within the EU. However, CIWF has grave concerns about the exclusion from this limit of animals destined for further fattening and the lack of provision for these animals to rest off the vehicle.

Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of CIWF-Ireland, says: "MEPs have voted to end the huge suffering caused by extremely long journeys within the EU which end in slaughter. CIWF will now be lobbying vigorously for the Agriculture Council to extend this same level of protection to animals being transported for fattening prior to slaughter and also to cattle being shipped to countries outside the EU for slaughter."

The main export trade from the Republic of Ireland is in cattle to the Lebanon, mostly for slaughter; young calves to the Netherlands for veal production; and older calves to Spain and Italy for further fattening. "We believe the long distance trade in live animals must be replaced by a trade in meat, and animals must be fattened on or near the farm of birth," says Bartlett.

End the hunt

Green Party local election candidate for Galway West Niall Ó Brolcháin is calling for an outright ban on hunting with hounds in light of the legislation already passed in Scotland and now going through parliament in England.

"Fox baiting and fox hunting in particular are cruel and barbaric sports where living creatures are savaged to death with little dignity or respect," says ó Brolcháin. "I find the idea of grown men and women dressing up in fancy clothes, riding beautiful horses alongside a pack of hounds and blowing a brass horn in order to kill a fox to be quite extraordinary in this day and age. In my view this is just post-colonial madness. In a civilised society we must at least show a small amount of respect to our fellow creatures."

Ó Brolcháin believes that the likelihood of foxhunting being banned in Britain will lead to a new kind of tourism. "Fox hunters will come across to Ireland in their droves, closely followed by hunt saboteurs. Do we really want these people prancing around our countryside?" he asks.

Sauce for your noodles

Noodle House organic pasta was established in 1998 and has since gained an excellent reputation for quality including recommendations in the Bridgestone Guide. Varieties include spinach, tomato, beetroot and herbs But for pasta lovers the sauce is almost as important as the pasta itself.

At a recent food fair in Co Cavan promoting food products from the North West , Ingrid Basler of Noodle House announced that she is developing a range of organic sauces that are soon to be launched on the market. Fans of Noodle House organic pasta produced in Curry, Co. Sligo can now look forward to a complete organic pasta meal.