Nolan: Macra Young Farmer event sign of hope for Irish agriculture

Independent TD for Laois-Offaly Carol Nolan has warmly congratulated the winner and finalists of the 26th Macra FBD Young Farmer of the Year event that took place last week in the Heritage hotel, Laois.

The overall winner at the event on Tuesday, September 10, was Cavan’s Christopher Cahill, who also went to clinch the top spot as category winner for Land Mobility.

Deputy Nolan described the event as a “magnificent success that demonstrated the abundance of young talent in Irish agriculture”.

“I was delighted to attend this wonderful and inspiring event and I want to commend Macra, and indeed FBD, for so clearly making the case that our farmers, be they young or older, are the best in the world at what they do; producing first class sustainable produce through commitment, excellence, and innovation,” said Deputy Nolan.

“These events really do highlight the potential that we have to maintain Ireland’s position as a world leader in quality food production. That is why all the recent talk about generation renewal must be followed through with targeted and meaningful supports for young farmers.

“The young farmers at the event and the solid leadership from Macra all point toward what we can achieve if we focus on making farming and Irish agriculture a thriving sector.

“We have seen indications of this in the recent Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture report.

“That being said, we also know there are obvious threats to this future, particularly around the scandal of low and dramatically diminishing farm incomes. We have the potential. We just have to get serious about nourishing it,” concluded Deputy Nolan.