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The retirement scheme advanced recently by the Department of Agriculture has failed to support and facilitate generational renewal.   For many years now Macra na Feirme has been calling for a substantial farmer retirement scheme that has two main deliverables, firstly to financially support the retiring farmer while allowing that same farmer a genuine connection to the farm if they so wish, and secondly that the land that becomes available, be that through sale or lease, enters into the hands of young farmers regardless of enterprise.   Limiting the land use to certain enterprises will only further drive the costs of land...

This month’s topic is powerful and complex, there are a lot of different angles to view it from, so allow yourself the time to see all sides.  Through this article turn2me is going to try to shed some light on some of these angles, different aspects will resonate with different people.  Remember no two of us are the same, we are all different, we come in different shapes, sizes, and sexual preferences.  We are all human and deserve to live our true and authentic lives.  Aspects of humanity have been divided into Physical, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, and Intellectual.  ‘Sexual’ could...

This article is the fourth of a series of articles on mental health from our partner Turn2me  What does it mean to “Challenge Yourself”?  How does it personally resonate with you?  Maybe let it sit with you for a while, give it some thought…. Do you take on new tasks?  Approach thing differently? A challenge is different than a decision, it is like a dare, it can make you a little uncomfortable, courageous almost, there can be some uncertainty while we carry it out.  The more we challenge ourselves the more decisive we get about our destination, even if we encounter barriers...

In recent weeks Macra na Feirme has engaged in a nationwide consultation with its members on the topic of rural housing and planning.   The preliminary findings from this consultation have highlighted three major issues with rural housing and planning namely, lack of consistency across local authorities both in terms of planning requirements and cost associated with planning, delays in planning approval relating to minor aesthetic features and divergences relating to the implementation of local area plans.   In light of the pandemic and the associated evolution in working arrangements, attendees also highlighted the importance of ensuring that infrastructure in rural areas is comparable with services in larger urban settings.   Issues such as...

Macra na Feirme National President John Keane has encouraged Macra members to “get behind” the planned IFA Farm Family Rally on Sunday 21st November. Macra na Feirme have consistently called on the Government to recognise the importance of encouraging the next generation into agriculture. “Young farmers are the future of our agricultural and food production industry.  We recognise that environmental sustainability is vitally important for ourselves, our families and the future generations of farm families, and we also recognise that economic and social sustainability are equally as important future of the agri-business industry and wider rural communities”, said President Keane....