WEBVTT - Tullamore Show celebrates its 35th year 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:03.040 Well to County Offaly now, where tens of thousands of 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:06.240 people are flocking today to the Tullamore show as the 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:11.560 agricultural showcase celebrates its 35th year. The packed programme of 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:17.520 events features livestock competitions, trade exhibitions and family entertainment. Our 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:22.160 agriculture correspondent Aengus Cox has been soaking up the atmosphere 0:00:22.160 --> 0:00:24.920 there and he joins us now on the line. Aengus. 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:25.760 Good afternoon. 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:29.920 Hi, Ashling. As you say, yes, it is a great 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:33.879 celebration for rural Ireland here in its 35th year, the 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.440 year as you said. And the organisers of the Tullamore show, 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:39.080 they're always very keen and extremely proud to point out 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:41.760 that it's not just Ireland's largest one day event, but 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:45.960 the biggest in Europe, with around 70,000 people expected through 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:47.919 the gates here. And it's a mixture of everything from 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:52.720 farming technology to sustainability and, very importantly, livestock. Because the 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:56.760 Tullamore show has an excellent reputation for its livestock competitions. 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:59.720 It's also a key date on the calendar for much 0:00:59.720 --> 0:01:01.960 of rural Ireland, and I'm joined here by one of 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:05.679 the show's organisers, Brenda Kiernan. We'll hear more from her shortly. 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:08.880 But first, I explored the 250 acre site here in 0:01:09.020 --> 0:01:12.220 Tullamore this morning chatting with people. And here's a flavour 0:01:12.220 --> 0:01:13.140 of what's happening. 0:01:13.580 --> 0:01:14.899 Michael. Michael Daniels. 0:01:14.940 --> 0:01:15.500 And your name. 0:01:15.540 --> 0:01:16.300 Gavin Daniels. 0:01:16.340 --> 0:01:17.139 And where are you from? 0:01:17.180 --> 0:01:18.060 We're from Galway. 0:01:18.700 --> 0:01:21.020 Gavin and Gavin, you're testing out the the equipment here. 0:01:21.060 --> 0:01:23.459 I'm sitting on the quad bike on a quad bike. 0:01:23.819 --> 0:01:25.020 Are you in the market for one? 0:01:25.060 --> 0:01:25.500 Yeah. 0:01:25.860 --> 0:01:27.300 Can I see you now? You've tried out at least 0:01:27.300 --> 0:01:28.500 2 or 3 of them here. What do you make 0:01:28.540 --> 0:01:28.860 of them? 0:01:29.180 --> 0:01:31.060 Well, he's a he's a fan of the Honda. He 0:01:31.060 --> 0:01:33.340 likes the Honda. This is probably a bit big for him. 0:01:33.340 --> 0:01:35.580 Now we're looking for something a bit smaller. We're looking 0:01:35.620 --> 0:01:37.980 to see the machines. Now we're heading down towards the 0:01:37.980 --> 0:01:40.260 tractors and the diggers and stuff. That's where we're going next. 0:01:40.420 --> 0:01:44.060 My name is Elena. I work with Vista Milk. It's 0:01:44.060 --> 0:01:47.580 a research centre based in Chagas, and this was our 0:01:47.580 --> 0:01:50.900 citizen science project, Ground Truth, last year. So what it is, 0:01:50.900 --> 0:01:53.700 it's a DIY soil health test. So we have a 0:01:53.700 --> 0:01:58.780 clothesline of underwear with varying levels of decomposition. And the 0:01:58.780 --> 0:02:00.820 key part here is that these are cotton underwear. So 0:02:00.820 --> 0:02:03.940 cotton is an organic material. And the organisms in the 0:02:03.940 --> 0:02:07.780 ground will eat or break down that organic material. So 0:02:07.780 --> 0:02:10.860 the more decomposition you have and the better activity you 0:02:10.860 --> 0:02:12.020 have going on in the soil. 0:02:12.020 --> 0:02:13.980 So you're suggesting people at home now in their farms 0:02:13.980 --> 0:02:15.660 should be going around burying their underwear. 0:02:16.220 --> 0:02:17.220 Only if their cotton. 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:21.000 Tycoon based near Dungarvan, County Waterford. 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:24.720 Tighe. This wheelbarrow in front of us. It says it's a. 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:26.880 It won't tip over. It's a no tip wheelbarrow. 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:29.880 Basically, the problem with the wheelbarrow is it has a 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:34.680 tendency to tip out on itself, causing accidental spillages. Highly frustrating. 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:37.160 If you're in the pouring rain and you're trying to 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:40.240 clean up a mess. My invention to tip no tip 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:43.440 is basically a spring loaded handle that shoots down into 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:45.040 a frame to stop it tipping. 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.520 Carina Roseingrave I farm in Burnham View Farm in County Clare, 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:52.240 and I'm the Irish ambassador for women in Agriculture, and 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:54.959 we're going to be having a panel discussion with four 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:58.720 women in relation to agriculture, where we see women in 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.680 agriculture at present and how we can all work together, 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:02.720 men and women together. 0:03:03.240 --> 0:03:05.959 Now, Aengus, as we heard in the news bulletin earlier, 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:09.240 the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, is there at the show this afternoon. 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:10.480 What's he been saying to you? 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:15.040 He is actually toured the various areas here in Tullamore, 0:03:15.040 --> 0:03:19.160 including the Sustainability Village together with Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:21.520 and the two of them also spoke with media. We 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:24.000 already heard some of what Micheal Martin said earlier in 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.510 the programme relation to the return of Daniel But the 0:03:26.510 --> 0:03:29.550 teacher also gave an indication as to what workers might 0:03:29.590 --> 0:03:33.310 expect from October's budget in terms of supports. While Martin 0:03:33.310 --> 0:03:35.869 Hayden was full of praise for praise for the country's 0:03:35.870 --> 0:03:38.550 food producers. And here's a bit of what they both 0:03:38.550 --> 0:03:39.310 had to say. 0:03:39.350 --> 0:03:42.710 We want to make sure that many workers get relief 0:03:42.710 --> 0:03:45.790 in this budget, and so the primary focus of the 0:03:45.830 --> 0:03:48.110 budget will be in terms of the tax elements of 0:03:48.110 --> 0:03:51.910 the budget, will be reducing the impact on workers. We're 0:03:51.910 --> 0:03:58.270 also looking at enterprise in terms of facilitating investment in 0:03:58.310 --> 0:04:00.870 the entrepreneurial economy. If you look at some of our 0:04:00.870 --> 0:04:03.510 global companies, the strongest ones have come out of our 0:04:03.510 --> 0:04:06.910 food production system. If you look at Kerry or tear 0:04:06.950 --> 0:04:08.950 down Gambier and so on like that. So all of 0:04:08.950 --> 0:04:10.910 them have made and many more. But we need to 0:04:10.910 --> 0:04:14.390 do far more in other sectors. So we have to 0:04:14.390 --> 0:04:16.510 keep an eye on that enterprise sector. And farming is 0:04:16.510 --> 0:04:17.270 an enterprise. 0:04:17.270 --> 0:04:20.270 So look, last year I entered into my budget negotiations 0:04:20.270 --> 0:04:22.630 with a clear set of priorities to protect our livestock 0:04:22.630 --> 0:04:25.710 sectors and to be able to maintain that higher rate 0:04:25.710 --> 0:04:28.390 of support for our livestock sector, while also supporting the 0:04:28.390 --> 0:04:30.950 tillage sector, going through a very difficult time as it was. 0:04:30.990 --> 0:04:33.790 And that continues this year. And as well as funding 0:04:33.790 --> 0:04:35.530 my new TB plan. As it was last year, I 0:04:35.529 --> 0:04:39.370 approached these budget negotiations in exactly the same way. I'll 0:04:39.610 --> 0:04:43.010 clearly articulate what my priorities are for my department, and 0:04:43.010 --> 0:04:45.570 I do expect next year to have an increase in 0:04:45.570 --> 0:04:48.290 my budget, um, compared to this year. 0:04:48.930 --> 0:04:53.049 Hundreds of farmers, their Angus in Offaly for this year's event. 0:04:53.050 --> 0:04:54.850 What are their main concerns? 0:04:56.730 --> 0:04:59.170 There are quite a few. Unfortunately. Ashley. Near the top 0:04:59.170 --> 0:05:02.090 of the list are proposed EU changes to Cap funding 0:05:02.290 --> 0:05:04.370 ring fenced EU money for farmers that could be cut 0:05:04.370 --> 0:05:07.650 by around a quarter or €2.5 billion in the next 0:05:07.650 --> 0:05:10.890 EU budget cycle. The Irish Farmers Association has a presence 0:05:10.890 --> 0:05:13.369 here today, where the organisation is launching a new online hub, 0:05:13.370 --> 0:05:17.610 explaining the possible implications of any reduction in Cap funding 0:05:17.650 --> 0:05:20.969 outside of Cap, then climate and sustainability also ever growing 0:05:21.010 --> 0:05:23.810 issues for the agricultural sector. And this has been one 0:05:23.810 --> 0:05:26.010 of the warmest and driest summers on record as we know. 0:05:26.050 --> 0:05:28.610 And it's starting to cause significant problems in terms of 0:05:28.610 --> 0:05:32.010 things like grass growth, water supply for livestock and indeed 0:05:32.010 --> 0:05:35.729 with crops themselves. And this is increasingly something that's having 0:05:35.730 --> 0:05:39.409 to be confronted and solutions are being sought for these issues, 0:05:39.410 --> 0:05:42.890 including here at the Tullamore show, where the sustainability village 0:05:42.890 --> 0:05:43.610 is a centerpiece.