‘You’d wonder if we are farming in 2016 or 1916’
THE slump in livestock prices and a factory market dominated by the same few players are uppermost in the mind of Seamus Miggens as he reviews his end of year profits (or lack of them) on his farm in at Derrylangan in Athboy, Co Meath.
“Judging by the returns farmers are getting from the market you’d wonder if we are farming in 2016 or 1916 or maybe 1966.
“Prices are ridiculously low across all farm enterprises. We don’t seem to have a platform where we can stand and from where we can get a market price to keep us going he continued.
He cites an example of a lamb he sold recently which fetched and he is not overly amused when he remembers he received IR£100 for a similar beast back in the late 80s.
Seamus runs a mixed beef and sheep livestock enterprise on his 65 acre farm at Derrylangan outside Athboy and rents a further 20 acres around 10 miles away.
“The cattle thrived this year and looked good but it was hard to get a good price to pay the bills. — a kilo for cows and or so for heifers are not prices to get excited about. It was the same with the sheep this year. I had 120 head this year and still have 40 in the fields I’ ll probably keep the surplus and see if the prices improve next year.
“That’s what happens when most of the market is in the hands of one man though you would have to say that this situation came about through the actions of successive governments,” Seamus adds.
A widower looking at the ‘Big 60’ at his next birthday, Seamus has three girls — all of whom have worked on the farm and would be capable of running the enterprise but have chosen to work elsewhere.
He believes they are part of the new generational change occurring on Irish farms where the off-farm job is usually the first priority over any on-farm job for the “youngsters” and it is a trend he believes which will change the future of Irish farming.
When we were talking Seamus was getting ready to bring is second daughter — Grainne (23), a trained nurse, to Dublin Airport for her flight to Australia the next day.
There she will join her older sister Ann (26), a former FBD insurance employee who has been working in the brokerage and financial services sector ‘down under’ for nearly a year now. The eldest sister Cathy is also working off farm in nearby Trim.
Seamus is sadden by the isolation which most farmers have to endure in rural Ireland even in Co Meath where there are big towns and a capital city on the doorstep.
“When I was a young there was plenty of company around. Now all there is only noise when the contractors come in to do a job. There they are in their air conditioned cabs and when the job is done it’s off with them to the next job with hardly a word.” He has two main interests off farm — dancing and tractors.
“I am taking an increasing interest in vintage tractors and go on the tractor runs.
“I used to have a great big tractor with lights that would light up the night. Loads of lights — but there was always one or two lights on it which never worked. It was frustrating. I replaced it recently when I struck up a relationship with the ‘communist’ regime and bought a Zetor Crystal. He has to travel a little to pursue his interest in dancing. He adds: “There was a time when there were great musicians and entertainers around Athboy but you don’t get a huge pile of dancing in Athboy these days. I go to Navan to dance and I believe the dancing is good up at the Kilmore in Cavan but I haven’t been there.”