Coughlan: "No evidence of flight from the land"

[BarryW]

Speaking at the launch of the Dept. of Agriculture annual report today Mary Coughlan insisted that there was no evidence of a "flight from the land"
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/index....6/101-2006.xml

The Minister emphasised that despite concerns about the exit rate from farming land sales remain at historically low levels and prices continue to rise - there is no evidence of the so-called 'flight from the land.

She's obviously not aware that over the last 5 years, 11,000 people have left the land - thats about 6 people every day.

The average farmer made a loss of €3,900 in 2005 - and meanwhile the Department celebrates the fact that it underspent by €250 million!

[Gombeen]

What nonsense Barry! Everone knows that the decline of rural Ireland(which isn't actually happening) is due to the crazy and anti-farmer policies of the Green Party(which haven't actually been implimented). Now are we clear on that?

[DSCH]

I would have thought that the decline in the agricultural labour force was a by product of rapid economic growth, but it may actually be a return to the dark days of the famine era.

[Trefor]

The average farmer made a loss of €3,900 in 2005

Interesting.

Irish agricultural land must be pretty near worthless then.

[Bogwarrior]

Maybe if the Irish farmers, ploughed the auld field now and then, and planted some crops, they wouldn't lose so much money. I travelled from Sligo to Dublin on the train once, and didn't see one turned field. Just grass, brambles, the odd cow and sheep, despite having the best soil and climate in Europe. Whilst living in Donegal, the village shop stocked only black carrots, and mouldy potatoes, despite being surrounded by fields. I had to resort to growing my own. Travel the Continent, and you'll see an abundance of fruit plantations, vegetables, vineyards, olive groves, and whatever grows. Every space seems to be utilised. Irish farmers seem to be totally reliant on handouts. Not because they have to, but because they want to.

[Trefor]

Maybe if the Irish farmers, ploughed the auld field now and then, and planted some crops, they wouldn't lose so much money. I travelled from Sligo to Dublin on the train once, and didn't see one turned field. Just grass, brambles, the odd cow and sheep, despite having the best soil and climate in Europe. Whilst living in Donegal, the village shop stocked only black carrots, and mouldy potatoes, despite being surrounded by fields. I had to resort to growing my own. Travel the Continent, and you'll see an abundance of fruit plantations, vegetables, vineyards, olive groves, and whatever grows. Every space seems to be utilised. Irish farmers seem to be totally reliant on handouts. Not because they have to, but because they want to.

True.

You hardly ever see a fruit or a vegetable planted here either.

It's less trouble to get subsidies for livestock & chuck them in a ditch when they die of starvation.

[Ronanr]

"despite having the best soil and climate in Europe."

That is rubbish for a start. Ireland has a quite a good climate for animal husbandry, but I challenge you to name ONE major commercial crop that Ireland in general (and Connaught in particular) has the best climate in Europe to grow.

[factual]

"despite having the best soil and climate in Europe."

That is rubbish for a start. Ireland has a quite a good climate for animal husbandry, but I challenge you to name ONE major commercial crop that Ireland has the best climate in Europe to grow.

Mushrooms? Just a wild guess...

...but turns out to be right:

http://www.teagasc.ie/agrifood/mushrooms.htm

[Trefor]

Apparently you get better magic mushrooms in Wales than anywhere else.

Ireland must be much the same given that it's soil, climate etc is similar.

[Ronanr]

Mushrooms tend to be grown commercially INSIDE in Ireland (they are grown inside everywhere in the world they are cultivated commercially i think) so climate is hardly relevant.

I will list a few commercial crops to get people going : barley, potatoes, maize, oats, strawberries, apples, grapes, olives, rapeseed, wheat, sugar-beet.

The only two in the above list that one could PERHAPS make in argument for Ireland's climate for are potatoes and sugar-beet.

And we all know what is happening to the sugar-beet industry.