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 Fifteen Departments of this countries Agricultural offices are to shut by the end of April as part of the governments ongoing rationalisation programme, which were announced last year.
Agriculture offices at Nenagh, Clonmel, Thurles, will now close in April, with responsibility to transfer to Tipperary town in the case of all of the Tipperary offices.
Countrywide, the reorganisation when fully implemented will deliver annual savings of €30 million, mainly in staff costs, resulting in a reduction of 400 staff, latter which are to be deployed elsewhere.
In relation to the resignation of Junior Minister Trevor Sargent today, the Brendan Smith TD Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Food, acknowledged the very significant contribution that Trevor Sargent has made since his appointment as Minister of State for Food and Horticulture in 2007, both to the work of the Department generally and the organic and horticulture sectors in particular.
Presently demand for agricultural sheds and other farm buildings are in poor demand in rural Ireland these days, but this has not dampened the efforts of agricultural shed manufacturers O’Dwyer Steel, one of Ireland’s leading structural steel engineering businesses, situated in Dundrum village in County Tipperary.
 The company have just completed the construction of a large animal compound, including swimming pool, animal accommodation and lifting equipment, for Dublin’s zoo elephant population.
As part of its new diversification program the company is also currently building a new farm in the heart of ‘the big smoke’, also at Dublin city zoo in Phoenix Park, Dublin 8.
This project will involve the construction of a miniature farmyard, to give Dublin urban-ites a true taste of farm life as experienced in everyday rural Ireland.
Milk just doesn’t appear in wax containers as some urban dwellers believe.
 Organic Farming Training courses given by Teagasc for farmers in Tipperary, who are considering converting to organic farming, will take place later this month here in Thurles Co.Tipperary and across the country.
This follows a strong uptake of the Teagasc organic training courses held during the autumn of 2009.
Organic farming continuous to grow steadily here in Ireland with presently 1,532 organic operators cultivating some 48,911 hectares of land. Growth is expected to increase further due to strong demand for organic Irish produce, the suitability of many farms to organic conversion, and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Scheme incentives.
The new training courses are FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) accredited to Level 5 standard and will be run for one day per week over a five-week period, commencing Monday, January 25. The courses involve both indoor sessions and visits to successful local organic farms.
Training topics over these five weeks will include the principles of organic production, organic standards and regulations, and the economics and market opportunities for produce. Admission is €200 per person or family and pre-booking is essential.
 Jackie Cahill Thurles farmer, Jackie Cahill has been re-elected as president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) following a vote of the ninety nine member National Council which held yesterday at Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel, in Limerick city.
Mr Cahill, a Thurles dairy farmer, who milks 80 cows and rears 220 other stock on his 220-acre farm, has already led the organisation for four years, defeated his immediate predecessor, Co Longford farmer Pat O’Rourke by a margin of 54 votes to 45.
The 47-year old will now serve an additional two years as President of the ICMSA, allowing him to hold office for the maximum term permissible which is six years.
Mr Cahill’s victory will be seen as further vindication of the association’s current strategy in dealing with the Irish Government and the EU Commission’s dairy policy, according to sources within the ICMSA.
Euro-toques Ireland is the Irish branch of the European Community of Chefs and Cooks and two of the five Euro-toques food awards went to farmers in the Tipperary area who had added value to their produce.
 The Apple Farm
The Apple Farm, Moorstown, Cahir, Co Tipperary, received an award for its range of apple and fruit varieties, juices and fruit produce.
The Traas family moved from the Netherlands to Ireland in the late 1960’s to grow fruit. The family had been growing fruit in Holland since the 1800’s, but because it was difficult to find new land suitable for fruit-growing, Willem and Ali Traas decided to make a move to Ireland.
The range of produce on sale at the farm is quite diverse with 60 varieties of apples of which about 15 types are available in the farm shop. Four varieties of strawberries, three of raspberry, four of cherry, three types of plums, and two of pears, compliment the range in the farm shop. Some of the farms strawberries are available as pick-your-own each summer.
Drumeen Organic Farm near Urlingford, on the Tipperary border was recognised for its Happy Heart organic rapeseed oil.
 Drumeen Farm Kitty Colchester began producing the oil on her parent’s, Ben and Charlotte’s organic farm earlier this year. The Colchesters have a 200 acre organic holding with Angus cattle, sheep, poultry, turkeys, honey and some forestry.
They also grow their own feed, which is where the idea for the Happy Heart Oil originated. Having done some research into the nutritional benefits of rapeseed oil, Kitty started pressing, labelling and bottling earlier this year.
The product retails at between €5.50 and €6.00 for a 500ml container.
Speaking at the awards, Euro-toques Commissioner General Feargal O’Donnell urged the Irish Government to provide a safety net for small food producers. He said regulatory requirements and compliance costs were making many businesses uncompetitive and were a deterrent to the setting up of new food enterprises.
Minister for Food Trevor Sargent told the awards ceremony that he would continue to promote the cause of the local producer, and also a fair distribution of rewards, placing the protection of our environment and our long term food supply at the heart of all policy decisions.
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