Latest news with #AgriFocus
Agriland
01-08-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Dafm Funded Project Protecting Fresh Fruit and Veg From Diseases
University of Limerick scheme tests apple and spinach products and storage A project in the University of Limerick (UL) that is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is being used to assess the risk of foodborne pathogen contamination in fresh fruit and vegetable productions. The SafeGreen project is coordinated by Professor Achim Schmalenberger, who spoke on Agriland's AgriFocus podcast this week. The project samples apples and spinach, as well as their processing and storage environment, in collaboration with spinach and apple producers to assess potential sources of contamination. This includes water and fertiliser sources, bird droppings, and insects, as well as dust particles from nearby livestock. During the project, foodborne pathogens, including listeria monocytogenes, pathogenic E. coli, and salmonella enterica are monitored using cultivation dependent and independent methods. These pathogens are responsible for a significant amount of product recalls and are among the most lethal foodborne pathogens. Dr. Schmalenberger explained that consumption of fresh green vegetables and fruits is encouraged for health benefits under the Healthy Ireland framework, for their ability to provide consumers with vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre. As a result, leafy vegetables consumption, including spinach, has substantially increased in Ireland and the EU. Likewise, consumption of fresh fruit has improved for the same health benefits. Nevertheless, according to Dr. Schmalenberger, levels of consumption are still "significantly below" recommended targets of five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. He believes that one barrier to achieving the five-a-day consumption goals is the potential contamination of the food products with hazardous bacteria. In particular, consumption of unprocessed fruit and vegetables that are cultivated in the open environment, such as spinach and apples, pose a potential risk through contamination by foodborne pathogens. A number of outbreaks and product recalls related to spinach and apples contaminated with listeria monocytogenes and other foodborne pathogens have highlighted these potential risks. Dr. Schmalenberger explained that limited knowledge exists on potential sources of contamination for fresh fruit and vegetables that are grown in open fields, and that potential sources of contamination may originate from fertilisers of animal origin, such as farmyard manure. SafeGreen is coordinated by Dr. Schmalenberger, in partnership with Teagasc Ashtown's Kaye Burgess, and University College Dublin's Enda Cummins. The project started in 2024, and has since established and validated detection methods that are applied in a first round of testing with participating farmers. The project is not initiating stakeholder involvements to include further growers of spinach and apple to join the testing phase. However, Dr. Schmalenberger said that it his team are employing Living Lab principles that encourage co-innovation by stakeholders. His team are also also drawing up a form for stakeholders to sign up, from keeping informed to actively taking part.
Agriland
03-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
all things tillage with Teagasc's Michael Hennessy
Listen: AgriFocus – all things tillage with Teagasc's Michael Hennessy June 3, 2025 5:00 pm On the latest episode of the AgriFocus podcast, brought to you by Agriland in association with Axa Insurance, Agriland editor Stella Meehan chats to head of Crops Knowledge Transfer Department with Teagasc, Michael Hennessy. They discuss how winter crops, as well as spring-sown cereals, are performing across the country. Hennessy outlines the tasks growers should be undertaking in the coming days and weeks as growth progress is monitored and pests and diseases are controlled. Michael Hennessy, Teagasc The Teagasc representative also explains how world grain markets are looking at the moment and what factors are impacting on returns.
Agriland
21-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Listen: AgriFocus - Fair Deal and the family farm
Listen: AgriFocus – Fair Deal and the family farm May 21, 2025 5:06 pm In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Ann Griffin, regional advocate for the north-west with Sage Advocacy – which is the National Advocacy Service for Older People – to chat about what happens to the family farm if an older person needs to consider nursing home care. According to Ann Griffin there can be a deep fear among some farmers and their families about what it will mean for the future of the farm if they sign up to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, also known as the Fair Deal – which provides financial support to help pay for the cost of nursing home care. The regional advocate said that some people fear this will mean the end of the farm, but she said this is not the case. She told the AgriFocus podcast that under the Fair Deal scheme an individual pays a certain amount towards the total cost of nursing home care and the HSE then pays the remainder. This is based on the HSE carrying out a financial assessment to work out how much an individual may need to pay towards their nursing home care and this is based on their income and their assets. There are two types of assets assessed – cash assets and non-cash assets – which includes a person's home, any land they may own and farms. There is a 3-year cap limit on how much a person pays towards nursing home care as part of the Fair Deal scheme – that includes homes, farms and businesses – but there are also conditions which Ann has advised older people must be aware of. During this episode of the AgriFocus the regional advocate for Sage Advocacy also highlighted some of the key issues facing people who getting older in rural Ireland today.
Agriland
06-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Listen: AgriFocus - how much will an acre of land cost in 2025?
Listen: AgriFocus – how much will an acre of land cost in 2025? May 6, 2025 5:00 pm In this episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor, Stella Meehan is joined by Dr. Frank Harrington who is chair of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) Rural Agency Committee and discipline lead of Real Estate and Valuations at TU Dublin. Auctioneers and valuers from the SCSI have said that the outlook for the agricultural land market remains strong for 2025 and they are forecasting that the price of agricultural land nationally will increase by 6% on average this year. In a major report with Teagasc, auctioneer and valuer members of SCSI operating in the agricultural sales and rental market, say average rental prices in 2025 are expected to increase by 7%. Dr. Frank Harrington In Munster, average rental prices are expected to rise by 8% while in Leinster and Connacht/Ulster an increase of 7% is forecast. The average price of non-residential agricultural land in 2024 was €9,900/ac, which is an increase of 7%, up from €9,297 in 2023. Dr. Harrington explains that strong commodity prices and limited supply of land coming onto the market are going to continue to drive land prices.
Agriland
22-04-2025
- General
- Agriland
Listen: AgriFocus - Will ACRES farmers get burnt on scorecards because of wildfires?
Listen: AgriFocus – Will ACRES farmers get burnt on scorecards because of wildfires? April 22, 2025 5:00 pm On this week's episode of AgriFocus, we take a closer look at why the fallout from wildfires which swept through some parts of the country earlier this month could deliver fresh challenges for some farmers in ACRES. Joining Agriland's Francess McDonnell on this episode of AgriFocus is Fergal Monaghan, programme director for ACRES Breifne, Leinster and Munster/South Connaught regions. Fergal has has 25 years' experience in the agri-environment sector, including 20 years as a farm advisor working with farmers in high nature value areas throughout Ireland. He sets out what support and guidance is available to farmers who may be concerned about the negative effects of wildfire and why it is important for them to have mitigation procedures in place. The programme director for ACRES Breifne, Leinster and Munster/South Connaught regions also highlighted what measures farmers can put in place, including bracken strimming, managed grazing and raising the water table on peatland commonages. The fortnightly AgriFocus podcast series takes a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers, rural communities and the agri-sector.
