Category: 2017 Archive

The Irish Holstein Friesian Association will again have a vibrant presence at this year’s National Ploughing Championships. A team of Pedigree Registered Holstein Friesian cows on display will serve as a focal point for the Association in highlighting the many services and benefits it offers to dairy farmers. The team of cows on live display are sourced from herds located locally in neighbouring counties and exemplify the tremendous efficiency, genetic diversity and variation that exists within the Holstein Friesian breed.

Cow Averages of the Holstein Friesian team of cows on display

The day-to-day care of these Holstein Friesian cows i.e. feeding, milking and bedding always proves to be a novel attraction among all ages of those attending the Ploughing Championships. The evening milking each day inevitably draws a large gathering of onlookers within the IHFA pavillion as the familiar humming sound of the mobile milking machine signals the start of milk collection. For many onlookers it may be their first time to witness live a cow being milked.  

Thanks to local breeders for loaning their cows; Damien Brennan (Kilclonfert),Kevin Flynn (Reary), Fearghal Sullivan (Kilduff), Pat Cleary (Carrickshock), Peter Ging (Ballyclider).

The Holstein Friesian breed is uniquely positioned to be utilised by dairy farmers to add value to their business by offering high yields of milk solids, functional conformation, cow family recognition, cull cow return, generations of ancestry, and with an ability to impact positively on family income based on over 50 years of trusted & proven performance rooted in the Irish dairy landscape.

IHFA has an open herdbook which means new members are welcome to join and through its Grade-Up service can then go on to attain Pedigree status for their herd. The process involved is very simple. On thousands of dairy farms throughout the country there is an accumulation of good breeding records built up over many years. Based on such records, the Grade-Up service can provide a pathway to attain Pedigree Holstein Friesian status. It is a streamlined process to add value to these records that have been built up through the years and indeed over generations of farm families.

There will be a free draw with some tremendous prizes on offer. 1st prize is the opportunity to win a Pedigree Registered Holstein Friesian heifer calf. This could be your lucky chance to put build a new cow family addition to your herd! Entry to the draw is free, simply call in for a visit and fill up the entry form.

YMA is the organisation within IHFA that caters for young members up to the age of twenty-six. A talent base of enthusiastic young people is so important for the continued prosperity of any Association and there are many YMA events and competitions that cater for the young generation. There are local YMA clubs of like-minded young people across the country .   

 Conformation scoring and Classification are valued IHFA services in helping dairy farmers reach specific breeding goals for their herd. It is an independent, unbiased linear assessment of the functional  components of cows in your herd. The linear scores attained build-up over generations of breeding and this can help add value to cow families. The data collected is also used in conveying the message of a Bull’s transmitting pattern which all dairy farmers can asses in making informed breeding decisions. Genomic testing technology is a service that continues to expand in possibilities. All IHFA registered stock bulls receive genomic breeding values in addition to parentage verification. This increases the reliability of the figures and helps the farmer using stock bulls to make informed decisions.

Other IHFA service offerings will be on view at its Ploughing Championships pavillion.                             Staff members will be on hand to help with queries and will be happy to offer assistance.         

PILKE Eagle, OH27, Expert 37, Falcon and the NEW Easy 43 along with CS 900 and CS1000 circular saw machines.  

BILKE S3 guillotine blade high output firewood processor, FUELWOOD kindling machines.

PALMS forwarding trailers and loader cranes available with a full range of options including timber and brash grapples for excavator mounting.

THOR tractor hydraulic pto, electric and petrol powered log splitters using the unique THOR LEADER foot pedal system.

LMS SCORPION 440 brand excavator mounted tree shears and 870 Woodbuster and new excavator mounted cone splitters.

FERRI excavator mounted hedging and site clearance mulching flails something to suit all machines.

GREENMECH new generation wood chippers, number one throughout Ireland with professional landscapers, tree surgeons and hire companies; 3 year warranty as standard, along with CAMON and CARLTON stump grinders

KGD tractor 3 point linkage skidding winches 3.5 to 8 ton pull with options on wireless radio control, cable unwind along with a 3 year warranty.

OVLAC ploughs and cultivation equipment in both 4 and 5 furrow new and ex demo great ploughs at very completive prices.

This year with weakening pound stg and strong euro exchange along with our special NPA show offers, customers will benefit so feel free to call and have a look on what we can offer at STAND NO 137 BLOCK 3 ROW 5.

Opportunity for employers and employees to learn about key stages of employment from starting employment to retirement

The Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Oonagh Buckley today announced the launch of a significant new information and outreach programme for employers and employees, that will be unveiled at this year’s National Ploughing Championship.

 The “Walk Through Working Life” programme takes the format of a “walk” through key stages of the employment relationship that will be of very real value to employees and employers.

“The Workplace Relations Committee is tasked with solving problems in the workplace” said Oonagh Buckley, Director General of the WRC.  One of the most effective ways to do that is to give employers and employees – both current and prospective – the information that they need to solve their own issues.”

The “Walk Through Working Life” offers support to people leaving school or college and starting their first job who need to know what their rights are in terms of their contract, hours of work expected of them and so on. Similarly, people currently in employment who are dealing with life challenges outside work might like to know what time-off is available to them for example, or people with problems in work might like to know what avenues are open to them to get them resolved.   Information will also be provided to employees who are coming towards retirement – particularly those who might like to stay on in work – and the options that are open to them.

Oonagh Buckley stressed that “the “Walk Through Working Life” is of equal value to employers in SMEs or people in start-up businesses thinking of taking on their first employee, in the agri-food sector and the broader economy. The “Walk” will provide some simple tips and basic information for employers and prospective employers about what you need to do when employing someone for the first time, what records you have to keep, how to deal with staff issues that come up from time to time, and how to approach employee retirement discussions.’’

Ms. Buckley urged all persons visiting the Championships, employers, employees, parents and relatives as well, to “take ten minutes out from the wonderful distractions of the Ploughing to visit us – it could save you a lot of time and difficult conversations in your workplace further down the line”.

Concluding the announcement Ms. Buckley said that “This exhibition marks a first for the WRC by proactively putting information into the hands of the people who need it.  More importantly, we know that presenting what often seem to be complex employment issues in a concise and straightforward manner will be of very real benefit to current or prospective employees and employers, who for one reason or another, are unaware of their entitlements and/or responsibilities”.

For further information contact: press.office@dbei.gov.ie or phone 01 631-2200