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00:00Hello and welcome to Ear to the Ground.
00:03Later in the programme, I'll be back here in Elfin Mart
00:06to find out why record cattle prices are good for some farmers, but not for all.
00:12Stephen will be meeting a family investing in apples at a scale not seen before in Ireland.
00:18The growers that have been there before, it's served them well, but time for change.
00:22And Ella is in Cavan with a young woman determined to make her small farm work.
00:27I want to keep it small and I want to make sure that everything is sustainable
00:32in terms of just maintaining my own health too.
00:54The average Irish person chomps their way through about 120 apples per year
00:59and we live in a near perfect climate for growing them.
01:03So far, so good, right?
01:05Well, unfortunately not.
01:07Over 90% of the apples which we eat here in Ireland are imported.
01:12But one family-owned business wants to change that.
01:17The McCanns come from Armagh, where they are long established.
01:21In 2021, they embarked on a massive expansion.
01:27They planted the largest eating apple orchard in Ireland,
01:31here in Tully Allen in the Boyne Valley,
01:35growing two of the most popular imported varieties,
01:38Gala and Golden Delicious.
01:40Kevin McCann is commercial director with the company.
01:44Tell me, why did you start growing them?
01:47Traditionally, we were growing Bramley apples,
01:49John of Grey, John of Gold, L-Stars.
01:51Great varieties, but they're not what the Irish consumer desire.
01:55We looked at a lot of information in the marketplace
01:58and where we were going
01:59and we seen that the key to what the consumers want is Gala.
02:03We sourced the trees, got the land.
02:05I suppose in a wing and a prayer, we got stuck in
02:07and thank God it's came to fruition now.
02:10There is a total of 130 acres of fruit planted here,
02:15mostly apple trees, but also some pear varieties.
02:20There's no point in us planting a handful of acres here.
02:22We had to go out and plant large scale
02:24to be able to go to the retailers and say,
02:26look, we have X amount of volume here.
02:28This is what we're going to be growing.
02:29Import substitutes, so the trucks aren't coming in
02:32from other European countries or further afield,
02:34even the likes of New Zealand, Chile, South Africa,
02:36because it's an environmentally friendly crop.
02:39How did you end up here, though, in the Bound Valley?
02:42This actual area here in the Bound Valley,
02:45when we purchased it, it was actually described
02:47as a little heaven on a morning like this.
02:49Yeah, I could see why.
02:52There's a microclimate here.
02:53The site's out-facing.
02:55We're getting the maximum sun hours that we possibly can,
02:58which is very, very important to apples.
03:00We actually have the Maddock River flows through the site
03:02and that then flows on into the Bound.
03:05With the water, we're actually getting frost protection as well.
03:09With imported varieties dominating the market here,
03:12the McCanns felt it was a case of,
03:14if you can't beat them, join them.
03:17But taking on these global varieties
03:19has required a multi-million euro investment.
03:23To be honest, that was a massive gambling for us as a family.
03:26Call it nerves, call it ambition.
03:28We were confident, and it's had its ups and downs and its challenges,
03:32but when you see a crop on these trees like it is today,
03:36confidence is pouring out of us now to keep going at it.
03:39This orchard will produce roughly 2,000 tonnes of apples.
03:43It's achieved by planting at a very high density.
03:47The young trees are supported on a trellis system,
03:50allowing them to bear heavy fruit loads.
03:53Kevin's father, Oliver, has been in this business
03:56since his father, Patsy, set it up in 1968.
04:01Back then, things were done very differently.
04:04The orchards being planted in them days
04:06was 250, 300 trees to the acre.
04:09It would take quite a bit of time for them trees to mature
04:12and to fill in the gaps.
04:15As a rule of thumb, when you're growing wood,
04:18you're not growing fruit.
04:19Yeah.
04:20So on today's plantations,
04:23you plant trees touching each other.
04:25Trees love companionship,
04:27and the roots touch the roots of the trees beside it.
04:31Automatically, you get fruits straight away.
04:34This is the future of orchard growing in Ireland.
04:37It is costly to get into.
04:40We have 1,300 trees per acre.
04:43Three could cost you 10 euro.
04:46It's not hard to do the sums, right?
04:49Despite such costs,
04:51the McCanns felt that it was the only way
04:53they could provide a strong future for the business.
04:57Our own business was under pressure
04:59from the point of view of imports
05:01and things coming into the country.
05:02I said, this time,
05:04we're going to have to buy a farm and plant it.
05:06Because if we don't,
05:07what have we been doing all these years?
05:11Once harvested,
05:12the apples are brought to Armagh City,
05:14where the McCanns have their processing plant.
05:17To handle the increased volume created by the Boyan Valley site,
05:21the company has had to significantly upgrade the facility.
05:26Bins are loaded in by the operative.
05:28Through the infeed tank,
05:29we remove any defected product
05:31that's not suitable for grading and packing.
05:33Travels up through this 60-infeed sizing system,
05:36where there's literally 30 images
05:38of every single apple is taken.
05:39So that's a hell of a speed now.
05:42I can see the flashes so I can.
05:46The apples are sorted
05:48and cameras inspect the fruit
05:49for things like discoloration.
05:52A sophisticated measuring system
05:54is used to identify the sugar content,
05:56ripeness,
05:57and any internal defects.
06:01As well as washing the apples,
06:03water is a gentle way
06:04of moving them through the system,
06:07preventing any bruising.
06:09Oliver McCann, Jr.
06:11is head of operations.
06:12Do you have enough apples
06:14to keep this going all year round?
06:16No.
06:17Our Irish season will last to March,
06:19and then we work on imported fruit
06:20from there through to the new season starts again.
06:23So we need to get enough trees in the ground
06:25to last the season, 12 months of the year.
06:28The apples are only sorted and graded
06:31as orders come in from retailers.
06:33In the meantime,
06:35vast quantities are stored here
06:36for up to a year.
06:38So what are we looking at here?
06:39We're looking at about 300 tonne
06:41of gal apples that are picked
06:43up from Tully Allen.
06:45The last few days they've went in.
06:46Now that store is completely sealed,
06:47so we actually can't go inside.
06:48The product is in there.
06:49That's now in hibernation,
06:51safe, locked down, temperature controlled.
06:53When you say low oxygen,
06:55what do you mean?
06:56Ultra low oxygen.
06:56The hour we're breathing is 21% oxygen.
06:59Inside that room is 1% oxygen.
07:01Wow.
07:02So literally,
07:02we're just giving them a lifeline to keep going.
07:04Yeah.
07:05If we can keep the correct atmosphere
07:06and the correct storage systems,
07:08we'll have product for as long as possible.
07:11The McCanns are currently looking
07:13at a number of other sites around the country
07:16to plant more orchards.
07:18And they believe that there is potential
07:21for other growers to adopt this model of production.
07:25We're in our fifth year now of growing.
07:26We're over the moon with production
07:27and hopefully we'll keep it like that going forward.
07:31We should be able to get our numbers up.
07:33We would love to see new entrants
07:35coming into the business as well
07:36because there is a massive, massive scope.
07:38The growers that have been there before,
07:40it's served them well,
07:42but time for change.
07:43Mm-hmm.
07:43Yeah.
07:44It's a big, big investment.
07:46It's 50 years to build it
07:47and five minutes to lose it
07:49in our heads.
07:50But we have to grow this business further
07:52and the fire's in our belly to do that.
07:59That's it for part one.
08:00Coming up after the break,
08:02a young farmer leading by example
08:04in County Cavern.
08:05I have found that the next generation
08:07is so intrigued
08:09and they're always reaching out on social media.
08:13And I'll be finding out
08:14why these guys are so valuable.
08:26Irish consumers don't need to be told
08:28that food prices are continuing to rise here.
08:31The cost of beef is no exception.
08:34In the year to the end of October,
08:36sirloin steak saw a price hike of almost 23%.
08:41At least part of this can be traced back
08:44to what's been happening
08:45at livestock marts across the country.
08:48The massive increase in beef prices
08:50over the last year
08:51has caught many by surprise.
08:53In fact, it's lasted so long
08:54that many are beginning to wonder
08:56if this isn't just a spike
08:57rather than a long overdue reset.
09:00Which is great for the farmers selling,
09:02but challenging for every other link in the chain.
09:06It's a wet morning here
09:07at Elfin Mart in County Roscommon.
09:10And we're coming to the end
09:11of what's been a bumper season
09:13for farmers and auctioneers alike.
09:16Gerry Conlon and his son Donal
09:18from Kilcock in County Mead
09:20are here today to sell six weanlings.
09:23If everything goes well,
09:25these animals will fetch
09:26anywhere between 2,000
09:28and 2,500 euros each.
09:32What could you have reasonably expected last year?
09:35Oh, it's phenomenal.
09:36I think last year we were 1,200.
09:38So definitely a lot healthier this year, 100%.
09:42Amazing turnaround in the trade.
09:44It's 20 years too late for me,
09:46but maybe not for Don.
09:47Yeah.
09:49Elfin Mart is one of the busiest in the country.
09:52It attracts buyers and sellers from all over
09:55and is particularly popular with cattle exporters
09:58because of its large animal holding facilities.
10:02Ciaran Lynch is the mark manager.
10:05For me this time last year,
10:07like you know,
10:07it's just huge money.
10:09It's massive money.
10:10I mean we're talking millions changing hands here.
10:12In a day.
10:13In that ring.
10:14In a day.
10:14You're talking maybe over a million every day.
10:17That's every day.
10:18This is like the Vegas of Ireland.
10:20Something like that, yeah.
10:21It is.
10:22But look, it's just a game we're in.
10:23It's just the way the job has gone and that's it.
10:26In simple economic terms,
10:27this is all about supply and demand.
10:31Ten years ago,
10:32the national beef herd here stood at 1 million animals.
10:36Today, due largely to older farmers leaving the sector
10:39and policies around reducing numbers to meet emissions targets,
10:42that figure is closer to 750,000.
10:47Nevin McKiernan is a livestock journalist
10:49with the Irish Farmers Journal.
10:52That's left us with a situation now
10:53where there's less cattle coming on stream.
10:55You can see them pens getting emptier and emptier year on year.
10:58So that's creating more competition in the market.
11:01The fear is that this is a bubble.
11:04What do you think?
11:05In the short to medium term, no, it's not.
11:08This is not just an Irish thing.
11:09This is across Europe.
11:11Production across Europe is down
11:12and we're going to see that over the next five to six years.
11:16It's very difficult to see how prices are going to go down.
11:1913-bit supercharging on the LA 20th.
11:21Demand from the booming live cattle export sector
11:24is another factor driving price increases.
11:27Last year, we hit a 20-year high
11:30with almost 380,000 animals exported,
11:34mainly to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
11:38Roscommon-based Derek Maxwell exports around 25,000 cattle every year.
11:44One of his regular customers is Italian farmer Filippo Canil,
11:48who buys up to 300 animals every month.
11:53You're the customer for Irish cattle farmers.
11:56Beef price has doubled at the ring here in the last 12 months.
12:01What does that mean for you?
12:03It's not easy for me, this situation.
12:06But my customer, I know the situation in Europe or in the world.
12:11It's very difficult to find the meat for cheap price,
12:14but I need the quality, you know.
12:17We had 20 years with no inflation.
12:19The last 12 months, the last 24 months, you could say,
12:22we've seen a big change.
12:24But as far as I can remember,
12:26before that cattle were nearly always the same price.
12:28Are we at the peak or can this continue?
12:32Who knows?
12:33I thought we were at the peak last April, last May,
12:37but it seems to keep going and we just have to move with it.
12:41But I don't see it going back to what it was 24 months ago.
12:44So what about those buyers who are purchasing young animals
12:49to fatten and then sell on to processors?
12:52Within the sector, profit margins are shrinking
12:54as purchase prices at marts continue to rise,
12:58while feed and energy costs are also more expensive.
13:01As part of his business,
13:04Donegal farmer Andrew Norris finishes around 400 animals every year.
13:09It's not about what we get for the beef, like, at the minute.
13:13It's about what we have left over
13:14whenever we have the 400 stores back in again to go next year.
13:18And, like, I'm sitting looking at cattle coming nicely there now
13:21and they're doing well,
13:22but I'm already worried about how I'm going to replace them
13:24because of the way the thing is that the market's like.
13:26For the system that I'm in,
13:27there's a lot of costs in that,
13:28like, for keeping them cattle for a year
13:30and everything that goes along with it,
13:31like vaccinating and dosing and doing everything that goes along with it.
13:34But it's small margins for the amount of money that's invested.
13:37There's no way that I would be able to be...
13:39It's myself and my brother and my cousin that works together here.
13:43And there's no way that the three of us
13:44would be able to live off finishing 400 cattle.
13:46It just wouldn't happen, like.
13:48Three years ago,
13:49the price paid by factories to finishers like Andrew
13:51was €5 a kilo.
13:54Today, it's just short of €8.
13:57Being the last link in this chain,
13:59the consumer inevitably ends up paying more for their steak and mince.
14:04Conor Loughnan is a lecturer in economics
14:07at University College Cork.
14:10I think this is the new norm.
14:12I think the era of cheap food is coming to an end.
14:15With the way policy is changing now
14:17and we see less supply in the market,
14:20it's hard to see how that price will shift back down.
14:23And also when we have these high prices
14:25for the farmers and the processors,
14:28that has to be collected somewhere
14:29so they can't take a loss on that.
14:31So the chances of the price slipping back
14:33in the short term are minimal.
14:36I would say prices likely to continue to rise
14:39in the foreseeable future.
14:40Who's the real winner here?
14:42It's hard to say
14:43because the farmers are getting a better price now
14:45for their stock that they're selling,
14:47but they're also having to pay a greater price
14:49to replace that stock that's already exited the farm.
14:52So processors have to give more to the farmer,
14:55but they're also receiving more.
14:57So it's just basically a shift in the price equilibrium
15:00to another price point.
15:04But ultimately, buying and selling cattle is a gamble.
15:08On the day, bad weather meant that livestock boats
15:11weren't travelling,
15:12meaning less demand from exporters
15:13and driving down prices somewhat.
15:18But Gerry and Donal weren't complaining.
15:20It's still a big improvement on previous years.
15:24What's the average?
15:26The average price per head is €2,008.
15:30Not a bad result,
15:31but a little bit shy of maybe where you were hoping.
15:34Absolutely, but you have to take what you get on the day.
15:37What about you, Donal?
15:37What's your take on it?
15:38Absolutely, no, it's solid enough.
15:40You couldn't be complaining about them figures.
15:41Is that the end of the sales for you for this year?
15:43No, I have another sale here this day a week.
15:46Another bite of the cherry?
15:47Another bite.
15:52Just over 4% of farmholders in Ireland
15:55are under the age of 35.
15:58One such person is Sophie Bell,
16:01and I've come here to her farm in Cavan
16:03to find out how optimistic she feels
16:06about her future on the land.
16:0927-year-old Sophie Bell grew up on this farm
16:13but moved to the UK
16:14to study agricultural science after school.
16:18She came back with new ideas
16:20and a determination to make the farm work for her.
16:24Until three years ago,
16:27Sophie's father raised beef cattle here.
16:29But Sophie wanted change,
16:31so she now operates a farm
16:32where she doesn't own any of the livestock she rears.
16:37When I finished university in 2021,
16:40I decided I don't think there's a future for us
16:44on this farm if we don't change the system,
16:46so I'm contract rearing dairy heifers
16:49for another local dairy farmer.
16:51It allows us to be paid a monthly rate,
16:55and we know what that is,
16:56so it's really helpful for us
16:57because we're a small farm
16:58and it's very hard to rely on prices
17:01that aren't decided for us
17:02if we were in beef or dairy.
17:04So this is like a bed and breakfast,
17:07basically, for the cows?
17:09Yeah, essentially, yes.
17:10And we're just rearing the next generation
17:12in the best way we can for the farmer.
17:16Sophie runs this 56-acre farm
17:19in partnership with her father, Henry.
17:21They both have full-time off-farm jobs.
17:25Sophie is in the civil service
17:27and Henry is a lorry driver.
17:30Their situation is common around Ireland,
17:33where 54% of farms are under 60 acres in size
17:37and 42% of farmers have an off-farm income
17:41because the land cannot support them full-time.
17:45You're not solely dependent on this farm
17:47for your income.
17:48Is that some help?
17:50It is a help, yeah,
17:52because I can just rely on that wage
17:55to sustain my own living.
17:57With the farm, that can be separated
17:59and I can use that to invest back into the farm.
18:02So the farm wouldn't be as viable as it is
18:05if I was taking a wage from it.
18:08So all the profits from the farm at the moment
18:09are going back into the farm to reinvest?
18:12Yes, and I think that's the situation
18:13for a lot of farmers.
18:15Not many take a living wage from it.
18:17For a lot of farmers, it's just a way of life.
18:22It certainly is a way of life for Sophie.
18:25On the weekend, she's up early
18:27to milk cows for local farmers.
18:32And when she's not working on the farm,
18:34she manages her social media.
18:39It's far removed from the days
18:41when Henry worked this land on his own.
18:44Hello, Henry.
18:45How are you doing?
18:45How are you doing?
18:46All right.
18:47You fixing there?
18:49Trying my best.
18:50Trying your best, yeah.
18:51You look very similar.
18:54That's good.
18:57Has the farm been in your family for long?
19:00It's over 60 years, anyway.
19:02My mother and my father had it,
19:04and then my father died,
19:05and then my mother had it then,
19:08and she transferred it over when I was 27.
19:12I wonder how you feel about the future here.
19:15You're still a young man yourself.
19:17Thanks.
19:21Sophie's sure to continue on
19:22and build it up better
19:25and make an improvement in it.
19:27Yeah.
19:27You need to be all the time thinking ahead.
19:30And Sophie has that thing that you've never had,
19:32which is social media.
19:34Yeah.
19:35And the potential income from social media as well.
19:38It's an interesting part of farming,
19:39with young farmers in particular, isn't it?
19:40Yes, that would help, too,
19:42to increase profits and sustain farming.
19:47Sophie's social media channels
19:48generate income for the farm
19:50and give her the chance to road test new products.
19:53It's really helped the farm along.
19:56We've had GPS on the tractor,
19:58and we've had different products,
20:01such as worm testing kits
20:02and various things like that
20:04that we might not always have been able to consider on the farm.
20:08But as a result of that,
20:10it's helped bring it along so much more.
20:13Sophie, as a young female farmer,
20:16is part of a very small but important cohort
20:19when it comes to the future of farming,
20:21both here and across Europe.
20:24In Ireland, 87% of farmers are men,
20:28and the average age is 59 years old.
20:32In your area, your local community here of farmers,
20:35what are you seeing with the next generation coming through?
20:38I am seeing a lot of motivation
20:41and a lot of young people coming along
20:44and introducing some really fabulous ideas on farm
20:47and in terms of business as well.
20:49But I am seeing also a lot of people moving away
20:53because it's just so difficult.
20:55But I have found that the next generation is so intrigued,
21:00and they're always reaching out on social media as well,
21:04especially a lot of young farmers, especially women.
21:07And I went back to my old school
21:09where I spoke to the fifth class.
21:12It's a very small school,
21:13and there was 10 young girls
21:15who were wanting to pursue a career in agriculture,
21:18which is great to see.
21:20Until five years ago,
21:22Sophie's mother, Stephanie,
21:23did a lot of the farm work here,
21:25until Sophie took on more responsibility.
21:28It's great that she's taken on my role there
21:31because he would probably listen to her an awful lot more
21:35than he ever listened to me.
21:36So I know it doesn't happen everywhere.
21:39So, I mean, it is sort of like with great pride
21:43that she is able to handle the farm
21:45and just keep everything so much under control.
21:48Do you think that's true?
21:49Do you have control of your father?
21:53Yes, most of the time.
21:55You're getting there.
21:56You're getting there, yeah.
21:57It's been really important, clearly,
21:59that she's in partnership with her father.
22:01Yeah.
22:02So there is that clear path.
22:04Yeah, because I think on an awful lot of farms
22:06you can just be working.
22:09Working and waiting.
22:10Working and waiting and waiting and waiting
22:12and then there's still sort of that doubt
22:14whether you're just waiting in vain.
22:16So I think it's great to be clear
22:19on what actually is happening.
22:22Sophie's made some significant decisions
22:24in order to keep this farm viable.
22:26But she's also conscious of ensuring
22:28that she herself can continue to farm long into the future.
22:33I would love to just keep the farm as it is.
22:36I don't want to be farming hundreds of animals
22:40and pushing myself to that limit.
22:43I want to keep it small
22:44and I want to make sure that everything's sustainable
22:47in terms of social life,
22:49in terms of labour
22:50and, you know, just maintaining my own health too.
22:54I think that's always something I want to play part
22:57of this whole journey.
22:59So fingers crossed that remains an option.
23:07That's it for this week.
23:08Next week on Near to the Ground,
23:10Stephen brings us a reminder of last summer
23:12on a glorious day for harvesting.
23:15This year has kind of been perfect
23:16for us to get, you know, decent crops.
23:18Like we had rain when we needed it
23:19and we got sunshine when we needed it as well.
23:21Ella is on the trail of one of Ireland's
23:24most deadly invasive species.
23:26Lurg, mink.
23:28So you just have to go quite a pace to keep up with them.
23:31And I'll be meeting a Wicklow alpaca farmer.
23:34I don't have a farming background really.
23:36So this is still a steep learning curve.
23:38You know, I'm trying to see
23:39how do I make the farm work
23:41and earn us keep.
23:42Good girl.
23:43Oh!
23:44Don't forget this program will be repeated
23:46on Sunday at lunchtime
23:48after the farming weather.
23:49You can contact us on Facebook
23:51and follow us on X.
23:53And you can hear more farming stories
23:55on Countrywide
23:56this Saturday morning
23:57on RTE Radio 1.
24:21And you can hear more farming stories
24:28And you can hear more farming stories
24:28on Countrywide.
24:29And you can hear more farming stories
24:29And you can hear more farming stories
24:29And you can hear more farming stories
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