Irish Tractor April/May 2016

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April/May 2016 Vol. 4 No. 4

Davoren Plant Mulligan Plant & Agri Contracts

Cavan Tree Services

Kennedy Bros. Agri Contractors Ltd.

Mullinahone Co-Operative Dairy Society Ltd.

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2 Agri News

Contents

Irish Tractor & Agri is published by DG Press, Kells Business Park, Kells, Co. Meath Telephone: (046) 9241923 Fax: (046) 9241926 e mail: Email: contact@lynngroupmedia.com

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David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd. Prompt & high quality refrigeration service

Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery Offer milking solutions tailored to their customer’s needs

Breffni Mushrooms Suppliers of high quality mushrooms

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Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies Providing unrivalled sales, installation & call out services

Renihan Refrigeration

Supply, install and service cutting edge refrigeration equipment

10 Mulligan Plant & Agri Contractors

One of the most professional and reliable agri contractors around the midlands

14 James Breen Tree Care & Hedge Cutting A quarter of a century’s experience in the industry

17 Mullinahone Co-Operative Dairy Society Ltd

The oldest independent farming co-op in Ireland

22 Roulston Brothers Farm

Producing high quality milk since the early 1960’s

29 Tullyvolty House Farm

Brian Nicholson, sheep farmer on his progressive and sustainable operation

38 Kennedy Bros Agri Contractors Ltd.

Serving the needs of farmers in the Midlands & West for over 65 years

45 Mossie Lane Ltd

Providing top class steel form and industrial buildings for over 25 years

48 Castleview Farm Produce Ltd.

Colm Grimes on the trials & tribulations of growing vegetables

51 TJ Booth & Sons

One of the largest family owned manufacturer and distributors of animal feeds

54 JF Andrews Engineering

Providing solutions for Power Generation, Water & Wastewater Pumping and Treatment

57 Conor Hanafin Agri

Premier Agricultural Contractor offering an extensive range of services

60 Cavan Tree Services

Developed a stellar reputation over the past 20 years

64 Glenmore Farms

One of the country’s top potato growing farms

67 McCloskey Bros Agricultural Contractors

A leading agricultural contracting firm based in Co. Antrim

70 Kilkenny Co-operative Livestock Market Ltd Chief Executive Officer Michael Lynch

72 Cookstown Karro

Largest single pig processing plant in the UK & Ireland

74 Crosby Cleland, Brookmount Farm

Ulster Farmer’s Union Beef & Lamb Chairman

76 Davoren Plant

Highly regarded family run operation in Co. Galway

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WANT TO SEE YOUR STORY FEATURED ON THESE PAGES? Then get in touch with us at contact@lynngroupmedia.com

JCB’S World First: Dualtech VT Transmission for Agri Telehandlers

JCB has launched new Loadall AGRI Pro telescopic handlers featuring a World-first transmission that combines the best characteristics of powershift and hydrostatic drives.

The unique DualTech VT transmission features in the 7m premium-specification JCB 531-70, 536-70 and 541-70 AGRI Pro handlers, which have lift capacities of 3.1 tonnes, 3.6 tonnes and 4.1 tonnes.

JCB Chief Engineering and Innovation Officer Tim Burnhope said: “DualTech VT truly provides the best of both worlds, combining the low-speed controllability and easy driving characteristics of hydrostatics with the higher speed efficiency of direct drive powershift.

“The result is a premium driving experience for the operator, a 13% increase in productivity during repeatcycle handling over our classleading Agri Super models, and up to 25% greater productivity over other telescopic handlers.

DualTech VT really does raise driveline technology and telehandler performance to new heights.”

JCB’S Dualtech VT Transmission for Agri Telehandlers The new Loadall AGRI Pro machines have precise low-speed manoeuvring control and smooth, progressive response for loading and handling cycles, which the operator can adjust and fine tune to suit different applications and personal preferences. At the same time, the direct drive powershift element of the transmission gives these new handlers the best climbing and high-speed towing ability.

Standard specification of the Loadall AGRI Pro handlers includes a seat-mounted servo joystick; high intensity LED work and driving lamps front and rear that provide 360deg ‘daylight’ illumination for maximum safety and productivity in low light; and power brakes for reduced pedal effort with top level braking performance for heavy towing.

A unique regenerative circuit for the boom lift and extend cylinders allows the boom to lower significantly faster than usual, resulting in greater productivity – by as much as 20% when loading – or a 15% reduction in fuel consumption. The 140litres/min flow-on-demand system is complemented by a new high flow auxiliary circuit with up to 110-litre/min flow for attachments with hydraulic motors.

JCB’s patented Bucket Control System eliminates repeated joystick movements to shift sticky and fine materials from a bucket or grab; instead, with this feature selected, the operator simply moves the joystick sideways to determine the intensity of the shaking action.

The new JCB DualTech VT transmission combines hydrostatic and powershift drive systems using proven components in a single housing. The two modules work in harmony, seamlessly and automatically, to provide easy driving characteristics that can be fine-tuned to optimise driving comfort and performance for different applications.

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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John Deere leads stage V transition with DPF expertise and fully trained service network

John Deere is prepared today to lead European customers seamlessly through the upcoming transition from Stage IV to anticipated Stage V regulations with proven experience and expertise.

The current line-up of John Deere engines equipped with DPF technology are Stage V capable, which makes the transition easy for John Deere customers.

John Deere leads stage V transition One of the significant impacts of Stage V will be the introduction of a particle number (PN) limit for engines in the 19kW to 560kW power band, which will necessitate use of DPF technology by manufacturers. John Deere has been employing DPF technology since Stage IIIB, with more than 150 million DPF hours logged in the field. “Our extensive experience with the development and integration of DPF technology means John Deere is already capable of complying with the requirements indicated in the EU Commission’s proposal COM (2014) 581 concerning Stage V emissions,” says Geoff Stigler, director of sales, marketing and customer support in EAME, Asia and Australia for John Deere Power Systems. This confirms the engine technologies implemented by John Deere for Stage IV have proved to be the right ones.

“The existing John Deere emissions path offers customers a Stage V capable solution that continues to deliver outstanding performance, fluid economy, operator convenience and overall value without the need for any additional technology,” says Chris Wigger, John Deere Region 2 Vice President, Sales & Marketing for Ag and Turf.

Other technology choices made for Stage IV would require changes and added emissions complexity in order to comply with the proposed Stage V regulations. “As the implementation of Stage V approaches, customers can be confident because our proven emissions solution will provide a simple transition,” Chris Wigger says.

The depth of experience John Deere has with DPFs extends throughout the John Deere service dealer network. John Deere dealers have been working with the technology since the implementation of Stage IIIB, resulting in a service network with years of experience, extensive training and an unparalleled comfort level with DPF technology.

The fact is John Deere engines equipped with a DPF already meet the current emissions standards. This is particularly important for markets like local authorities and other low emissions areas that are looking for vehicles meeting the most advanced emissions standards for their environmental friendliness.

Chris Wigger says John Deere is fully committed to providing its customers with innovative, technologically advanced engines solutions that continue to provide distinctive customer benefits in terms of vehicle performance, total fluid efficiency and ease of maintenance.

Preventing theft with Case IH AFS Connect

Against the backdrop of a substantial increase in the number of thefts of agricultural vehicles and diesel fuel over the last few months, Case IH has again drawn upon the very latest technical options aimed at protecting agricultural machinery to create the new Case IH AFS Connect System.

AFS Connect is an innovative telematics solution which enables the retrieval of all important machine data at any time via the internet.

Farming contractors and farmers therefore have access to all machine data from their fleet, most importantly while they are in active service.

In addition, AFS Connect 2.0 provides some innovative safety functions. For example, a motion sensor provides information by e-mail whenever a tractor or combine harvester is not operational but is still in motion. Practical experience demonstrates that these kinds of farm machinery are often stolen with the help of low-loaders. The AFS Connect Motion Detection feature provides breadcrumbs of the vehicle movements after the first detection refreshing the position every 5 minutes in case of position change after the first alarm.

Another sensor monitors the tank fill level. As soon as the volume of diesel drops by more than five percent, an alarm message is sent out automatically.

To obtain greater operational safety, the AFS Connect protection also functions when the tractor battery has been disconnected. The system has its own power supply and this makes it possible to track the position of the machine for several hours. With a roamingindependent data link, the owner can obtain position reports even from across national borders without facing the issue of extra charges due to roaming.

Furthermore, users can also define exclusion times or zones during which the machine must be stationary. If the machine is moved during these exclusion times and zones, an e-mail alarm is sent out. With the Geo-Fence function, zones can be predefined and warning messages are issued whenever machines reach or leave these zones.

Currently, Case IH dealers are offering special campaign prices for the upgrade of Case IH AFS systems with a telemetry function. All AFS systems can be retrofitted with a telemetry modem. AFS Connect can be installed also on legacy equipment and not CASE IH units to provide basic services like Motion Detection and Geofencing In addition, AFS Connect offers a range of telemetry data that can help to optimise processes such as harvesting chains and to make these machines operate more efficiently.

The AFS Connect telematics system records, processes and transmits machine data continuously to a dedicated web portal. These data can be called up via the internet either by computer or by mobile internet devices such as smartphones or tablet PCs. This gives farmers and agricultural contractors access to all the most important machine data at all times. With the AFS Connect telematics system, maintenance work can also be planned better than before, e.g. alarms can be issued whenever maintenance intervals have expired.

The AFS dashboard provides graphic display, recording and analysis of important vehicle parameters, for example engine speed, temperature and hydraulic fluid pressure, fuel level and battery voltage, etc. Optionally, a vast array of different reports can be called up such as the surface area being worked on, average yields in the case of harvesting machines, flow rate and humidity, as well as weight and a fuel report.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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MF 6700 Series completes Massey Fergusons global series of tractors from 75hp TO 130hpHP Two completely new tractors in the Massey Ferguson MF 6700 Series, which offer maximum powers of 120hp in the MF 6712 and 130hp in the MF 6713, are the largest, most powerful models in its Global Series of sturdy and straightforward, all-purpose tractors.

“The MF 6700 Series is the culmination of Massey Ferguson’s significant investment in developing the Global Series, which now includes three completely new ranges that deliver practical, cost-effective operation for the demanding 75hp to 130hp sector,” says Campbell Scott, Director Marketing Services and Public Relations.

The new MF 6700 Series joins the 100hp and 110hp, MF 5700 Series, launched in February at the FIMA show in Spain, as well as the three models from 75hp to 95hp in the MF 4700 Series.

The new tractors, which are equipped with cabs, are designed and built in Massey Ferguson’s Beauvais factory in France.

They are built on a 2.5m wheelbase and offering a 5.2t linkage capacity and now extend the modern design with straight-forward operation benefits of the Global Tractor Series’ into another sector.

Strong and agile, they make ideal loader tractors, capable of handling heavy loads. They also are perfect for livestock and mixed farming enterprises, while their ease of operation and low cost of ownership makes them well-suited to working in fleets on large enterprises, or as the second or third main tractor on big arable farms.

With the MF 6700 Series completing the Global Series, Massey Ferguson now offers customers an unrivalled choice of modern 75hp to 130hp tractors for a diverse farming sector.

The MF 6700 Series are powerful 120hp and 130hp all-purpose tractors built on a 2.5m wheelbase, which provides a 5.2t lift capacity with an up-todate cab, engine, transmission, rear axle and hydraulics.

Both are powered by advanced AGCO Power 4.4 litre, four cylinder engines equipped with a viscous fan and the award-winning ‘All in One’ Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emission control system.

Operators are treated to a class-leading airconditioned cab, which is designed and built in Massey Ferguson’s Beauvais facility and

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delivers exceptional comfort and control.

A modern, cost effective and efficient 12 x 12 mechanical gearbox has been developed specifically for the MF 6700 Series. This is equipped with a mechanical shuttle, or with the option of an easy-to-use Power Shuttle option.

An advanced open-centre hydraulic system with tandem pump delivers the flow and pressure required to run modern implements, while the combined flow option delivers 98 litres/min flow to boost loader performance. Both models are fully compatible with Massey Ferguson 900 and Massey Ferguson 900X loader ranges, which are available with parallel and non-parallel lifting.

The robust rear axle, as used on the latest, most advanced MF 5700 SL tractors, is built for hard work. With a maximum 5,200kg lift capacity, this handles modern equipment with ease, offering practical operation with a proven, modern electronic linkage control (ELC).

The 540/1,000rpm Independent PTO comes with electrohydraulic operation as standard, plus there’s a wide choice of speed options to suit all modern applications.

MF 6700 Series IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Mizen Rovers GAA club named FBD’S 2016 community champions for change

Mizen Rovers GAA Club have been the named as FBD’s Community Champions for Change following a nationwide search as part of the FBD Champions for Change programme – a major national farm safety and awareness initiative.

The group which is focused on highlighting safety in their community is calling for the establishment of a dedicated farm safety organisation Mizen Rovers GAA club and believes that the GAA has a key role to play in increasing the awareness of farm safety.

Connie O’Driscoll, Mizen Rovers GAA said, “We are absolutely delighted to be named FBD’s Champions for Change 2016 as we have worked long and hard to promote farm safety awareness in our community for the past number of years.

“The GAA has such a strong influence in many parts of rural Ireland and the clubs are well positioned to help encourage this message of farm safety. We need to combine our resources to raise awareness and prevent the needless deaths that occur on Irish farms be that through existing channels or through a new, dedicated farm safety organisation, similar to the Road Safety Authority.”

Training almost 100 children in the Mizen peninsula area, the group began in 2010 as a way to maintain club spirit and stay connected through the off season. They first launched a ‘Care for our Players’ campaign that focused on the areas of health, wellbeing, jobs and enterprise and road safety before taking on the issue of farm safety in 2014.

They arranged a number of awareness activities for the local community including special tractor driving courses for young people and a ‘Farm Safety Pack’ for local primary schools which included high-vis vests and dedicated educational materials to teach children about farm safety.

Connie O’Driscoll continued, “Farming, like GAA, plays a big role in the local community. In fact, we found that about nine out of ten of our club members were either living on farms or had family with farms locally. The GAA are community champions with an extensive network and we should be working together in order to reduce the risk.”

Fiona Muldoon, CEO of FBD, said, “The aim of the awards was to recognise those people making a real contribution in the area of farm safety and to highlight the importance of the need to look out for one another in the community. What the Mizen Rovers GAA Club has done is to come up with a template for promoting the message, one that can be replicated at a national level and we are delighted to lend them our support.”

As winners of FDB’s Community Champions for Change award, Mizen Rovers GAA Club will receive €1,000 which will go toward expanding their outreach beyond the local community and will be used for educational tools for schools such as farm safety books and games etc.

New high-spec options for John Deere sprayers

John Deere has announced two new high-end options for its M700 and M900 Series trailed sprayers, which include six models with tank capacities from 2400 to 6200 litres and spray booms from 18 to 40m.

Previously only available on the high-specification M700i and M900i Series models, the BoomTrac and LED field lighting options are designed to increase the performance, uptime and low operating cost benefits of using John Deere’s midspecification sprayers.

The established BoomTrac automatic boom levelling and height control system uses ultrasonic sensors to measure the height of the boom above the crop or soil. If changes in the field or the target surface mean that the boom is no longer level, the system automatically adjusts it to maintain the optimum distance. As a result, spray drift caused by excessive boom height is greatly reduced and spray coverage on the target is improved.

In use, the operator can specify a desired boom height for each nozzle type or choose a different boom height depending on the application or field conditions. The system is controlled via the tractor’s in-cab GreenStar or CommandCentre display and does not require an additional control panel, which also reduces cab clutter and complexity.

Designed specifically for John Deere sprayers, the control algorithm used for BoomTrac has been formulated to match the dynamics of the company’s spray booms, to provide optimum performance. In addition, four headland control modes are available, including the ability to raise the boom to avoid obstacles, walls or hedgerows.

The optional boom lighting kit features two high-powered LED lights mounted below the boom’s centre frame assembly. These shine a high-intensity white light below the structure, effectively illuminating both the boom itself and the spray pattern below each nozzle. In this way, the ability to both avoid obstacles during night-time spraying and identify nozzle blockages is greatly improved.

Switching of the LED boom lights is also achieved via the CommandCentre in-cab display, so no additional controls are necessary. When compared to systems providing individual lights for each nozzle, the John Deere LED boom lighting kit means that only one light needs to be kept clean on each half of the boom; this avoids excessive downtime while still providing excellent overall visibility of the spraying operation.

BoomTrac will be available for both John Deere M700 and M900 Series trailed sprayers from April 2016. The LED boom lighting kit option will also be available from this April for the M700 models, and from November 2016 for the M900 Series.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Renihan Refrigeration in Bailieborough

Excellent milk tanks and a service to match!

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or the past 30 years, Renihan Refrigeration has been supplying, installing and servicing cutting-edge refrigeration equipment, including an exceptional range of bulk milk tanks to the agri sector. We popped into their busy base on the outskirts of Bailieborough, County Cavan and met Paul Renihan to find out more about this outstanding family-run operation, which offers unrivalled levels of customer service.

Renihan Refrigeration has been at the forefront of the commercial, industrial and agricultural refrigeration and air conditioning sectors since its inception in 1986. Supplying a wide range of bulk milk

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tanks, coldrooms and freezers as well as draft beer cooling systems, display cabinets and air-conditioning systems, the County Cavan based company guarantees absolute customer satisfaction by providing a professional installation service backed up by the highest level of aftersales care.

Quality and value permeate every facet of Renihan Refrigeration. They supply only the best-performing and longestlasting products on the market, holding agencies for such acclaimed manufacturers as Liscarroll Engineering and Toshiba. Fully approved and conforming to all standards governing the refrigeration industry, their vastlyexperienced and fully-qualified installation teams and service engineers make sure that the service provided is every bit as

dependable as the product.

Reflecting on the genesis of this highperforming enterprise, which has its roots very much in agri (and dairy farming specifically), director Paul Renihan notes: “The business was established in 1986 by

CONTACT DETAILS Renihan Refrigeration, Finternagh, Bailieborough, County Cavan.

Tel: 042 9665297 Fax: 042 9666521

Email: renref@eircom.net www.renihanrefrigeration.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Working on another job

A bulk milk tank

The firm started in 1986

my parents, Denis and Mary. My dad served his time with Westfalia, where he worked for ten years in immersion cooling, before spending a further three years with Etscheid in Laois, who did bulk milk tankers.

“Thirty years ago, he decided to go out on his own as an agent for Liscarroll milk tanks – an agency we still have today.

We supply and install new Liscarroll tanks and also maintain and repair them. Farming is still the biggest part of our business and would account for at least 50% of turnover, but we have also diversified to offer a number of other products and services – draft beer cooling systems for publicans; commercial airconditioning through our Toshiba agency; coldrooms and freezers in shops, pubs, restaurants, factories etc.; and refrigerated display cabinets.”

Dairy farmers can choose from both traditional Direct Expansion (DX) milk tanks and Ice Bank (IB) tanks, where the IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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CONTINUED SUCCESS & BEST WISHES TO ALL AT RENIHAN REFRIGERATION

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Best Wishes To Renihan Refrigeration, From

From the Keg to the Tap

BTI Engineering Supplies Ltd BTI House, 400 Greenogue Business Park Rathcoole, Co. Dublin Tel:+353 1 401 01 38 Fax:+353 1 401 01 84 E:sales@btiengineering.com www.btiengineering.com

Continued Best Wishes To RENIHAN REFRIGERATION

Best Wishes & Continued Success To RENIHAN REFRIGERATION From Ventilation & Air Conditioning Ductwork Contractors

KILNALECK, CO. CAVAN Tel:049-433 6764 Email: info@sheelinair.ie

Flood Accounting Best Wishes To Renihan Refrigeration From

Financial & Taxation Services

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Renihan Refrigeration, From

Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois Tel:057-8680982 Email: jwrs@eircom.net Best Wishes & Continued Success To

Renihan Refrigeration From

Self Employed, Sole Traders, Partnerships, Limited Companies Lismeen, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan

Contact Ann 046-9054350 Email: annfloodaccount@eircom.net Wilkinstown, Navan, Co. Meath 8

Call 049-8544732

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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milk is cooled indirectly by circulating chilled water. Typically, the tanks range in capacity from 3,000 litres up to 30,000 litres.

Meanwhile, outdoor milk silos represent a high-quality compact alternative to conventional tanks and Liscarroll Ice Builders allow for instant cooling of milk as it passes to the tank using off-peak power at a low-current draw.

“We also sell and install electric water heaters and heat recovery systems.

Farmers can get great value for money as grants are available for all of these systems,” Paul adds.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Renihan Refrigeration also sell a full range of fully-refurbished seconnd-hand tanks and provide a maintenance / repair service to all makes of tanks. “By their nature, as they are made out of stainless steel, milk tanks are very durable. Even if a tank is 40 years old, the actual tank itself would usually be in good condition, so you can refurbish them to a very high standard by fixing up the electrics etc.”

The catchment area comprises everywhere and anywhere within an 80mile radius of Bailieborough, and Renihan Refrigeration also has access to the Northern Ireland market in conjunction with Express Cooling

Service in Omagh, who handle their installations north of the border.

Since its inception, Renihan Refrigeration has prided itself on being a family-run business providing a superb personal touch. Of the ten-strong team employed today, five of those are family members – founders Denis and Mary, their sons Paul and David, and Paul’s wife Ashling. “By giving a personal touch, we have been able to hold onto our customers for life,” says Paul. “We’d know all of them on a first-name basis at this stage. I suppose most of our customers would live within a 30-mile radius but you also tend to get pockets of people further away who hear of the service.”

Indeed, service is very much the keyword with Renihan Refrigeration…

“Aftersales and maintenance would be a very big part of the business,” Paul confirms. “Anything we sell, we look after it for the customer thereafter. We have two service technicians out on the road full-time doing repairs as well as an installation / servicing team. The lads are all fully-qualified engineers and they are very versatile in that they can do any job.”

Looking to the future, Paul reveals that there are no plans for any radical departures from the tried-and-trusted, customer-focussed business model: “We are so busy keeping things running smoothly that we don’t have time to think about anything new. To be honest, with the dip in the economy, it was a case of survival for a few years there and we’re glad to have come through that.

“We operate seven days a week. We offer a 24/7 afterhours service and we are always available. Looking after customers is our No.1 concern and that’s what we have built this business on. When a customer contacts us, they know they will always be talking to somebody who is an engineer and who can get them sorted out as quickly and professionally as possible.

“Sales of new Liscarroll tanks have been very steady due to the availability of grants,” Paul concludes. “The new TAMS II grant scheme is coming in, too, and we’re noticing that a lot of people are buying tanks earlier this year.

“Demand is still there and that’s encouraging. In the last two years, our sales figures have been at their highest level in 20 years. Farmers see milk tanks as a long-term investment and we’re busier now that the quotas are gone.”

For market-leading products and a friendly service that’s second to none, get in touch with Renihan Refrigeration!

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Part of the impressive Mulligan Plant fleet

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Providing a professional service

ulligan Plant & Agri Contractors in Tullamore has earned itself a reputation as one of the most professional and reliable agri contract outfits around the midlands. Irish Tractor & Agri found out more from the company’s three directors.

When it comes to agricultural contracting, there aren’t many things more important to the customer than reliability. At least that’s the way the Mulligan brothers of Tullamore have always seen it.

Peter, David, Eoghan and Wayne have been immersed in the agricultural business since back in the days when their father Sean (RIP) had them out working on the family farm shortly after each one of could walk.

Since that time, Sean has passed away, tragically killed in a farming accident in January of 2010, but the Mulligan name still continues to be synonymous with farming in their local area as Eoghan, one of three directors at Mulligan Plant & Agri Contractors, explained to us.

“We’re here in Geashill, Tullamore, Co Offaly,” Eoghan outlined.

“My father Sean established the

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company in 1986 and there are four of us working here now altogether. The directors are me and my two brothers Peter and David and then Wayne is another brother that is involved with the company as well.”

While the three aforementioned owners run the business, Wayne Mulligan is preoccupied with running a farm of his own which consists of 80 acres and 50 suckler cows – 10 of which are pedigree

CONTACT DETAILS Mulligan Plant & Agri Contractors Address: Geashill, Tullamore, Co Offaly Mob: 087 6289939

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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charolais.

In the summer months, all four Mulligans are flat out ensuring the silage’s cut and the slurry’s spread.

“We are agricultural contractors and provide all the services of a typical agri contractor, you could say,” he explained.

“Our main work is primarily silage cutting, bale wrapping, sowing corn and spreading slurry. We’re into hedge cutting as well and we’ve also got our own gravel pit here.

David, Peter, Wayne and Eoghan Mulligan

“Slurry and dung spreading is a big aspect of the business too and we’re also doing land reclamation and forestry work as well. We’re growing between 150 to 200 acres of corn and we’d also do some slatted tanks for slurry spreading and do a lot of site development.”

Ploughing, tilling and shuttering all fall under the services that Mulligan Plant & Agri Contractors provide as well. They also carry out shed work, walls, floors and gravel roads – hence them having

their own pit.

The variety of options that the Mulligans provide their customers is part of the reason why they’re kept busy all year round and not just in the summer months.

They are currently gearing up for silage season, which is set to see them putting in the long shifts throughout the summer and into autumn.

“Business is average enough at the moment. The farmer always has to get

Ready for another job IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Best Wishes & Continued Success To Mulligan Plant & Agri, From

IAN DUNNE TYRE SERVICES Best Wishes to Mulligan Plant & Agri, from

MOUNTMELLICK - TULLAMORE

24 Hour Breakdown Service

Main Street, Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow.

Tel: 059 6481266 Email:sales@quinns.ie www.quinns.ie Wishing Continued Success To Mulligan Plant & Agri From

GOLDEN VALE CO-OPERATIVE MART LTD TULLAMORE, CO. OFFALY

Weanling Sales Every Monday Evening at 6pm Sheep Sales Every Wednesday at 11am Cattle Sales Every Thursday at 11am

Enquiries: Golden Vale Co-Op Mart Phone: 057 9321196

JOHN DEERE TRACTOR & SILAGE HARVESTER REPAIR

Contact John 087-1309445

Derrydavy, Mountmellick, Co. Laois

PAT FINN Continued Best Wishes To MULLIGAN PLANT & AGRI

Supplier of Truck & Agri Tyres Telephone

Kilcavan, Geashill, Co. Offaly

086 8511633

... fuel you can trust!

SPECIALISING IN HOME HEATING & COMMERCIAL FUELS NATIONWIDE Mullingar, Co. Westmeath Tel: 0818 300 410 Email: mullingar@jonesoil.ie

www.jonesoil.ie

Continued success to all at Mulligan Plant & Agri

AGRI SERVICES INCLUDE: Ploughing Tractor Hire Mowing Baling Wrapping Fertilizer Spreading Spraying

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AGRICULTURAL LIME SALES Mobile: 086-2528219 Portlaoise, Co. Laois

DELIVERING & SPREADING CALCIUM & MAGNESIUM LIME 12

Best Wishes To Mulligan Plant & Agri

www.irishtractor.ie

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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his work done and for us the plant hire end of things has really picked up, so we are always kept busy all year round,” said Eoghan.

“From May through to September you wouldn’t have time to bless yourself with all that’s going on!

Between silage cutting, slurry spreading and everything else you’re kept flat out all throughout the summer.

“March-April is also a fairly busy time when you’re getting into crops, so January is probably the quietest time for us. In saying that though, it isn’t completely dead either, so we can’t really complain about it.”

Sometimes a short slow period can be necessary for a thriving period but Mulligans aren’t going know much about it over the next few months due to their customers’ demand.

The family have built up a strong local customer base through their professionalism and reliability, according to them, and they’re two characteristics that have funnelled through from the company’s previous generation.

“All of our customers are local and within a 10 to 20-mile radius.

Reliability is a huge thing in this line of work. Our family have been in the business for 29 years now and I guess you could say that we’ve grown it up through our reputation of being reliable towards our customers.

“When we say we’re going to be there, we’re going to be there.

Reliability is everything to customers and we have always been there for them when they’ve needed us.”

Mulligan Plant & Agri Contractors carry out their day-to-day work with an impressive fleet of John Deere tractors – a brand which the family puts huge trust in when it comes to carrying out their work.

“Right now we are running five John IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Deeres. Those are a 7810 John Deere, a 7530, 6930, 6530 and a 6810,” said Eoghan.

“We also have a 7500 harvester, a 4070 top line combine and a Volvo L70 loading shovel. With regards to the mowers that we have here, we’re going to start Best Wishes To Mulligan Plant & Agri, From working with a new set of Butterfly mowers this year.”

The Offaly man continued: “We also have a McHale Fusion 2 and a John Deere 578 baler. There are two 20-foot Smyth trailers here and a Dooley trailer which is an 18footer.

“We’ve a 2900 Klass rake for silage as well and a Cross 2250 gallon tanker for slurry, three dump trailers and a Dooley low loader.

For hedge cutting, we have a saw head and spearhead 605 hedgecutter.

“It can be hard to keep them all maintained all year round but you have to do it and next year we’ll be looking into adding one or two machines.”

The likelihood is that the machinery will be John Deere as it 087 9100059 087 6880268 a brand which the Mulligan brothers MOBILE SERVICE have tried and tested for years now.

“We feel that there’s huge reliability with Wishing Mulligan Plant & Agri John Deere tractors,” Every Success In The Future! said Eoghan. “We started off with the 10 Series in 2002 and could get the better of it so we’ve stuck with John Deere ever since then.”

So if it’s a first class and reliable agri contractor service you’re looking for, look no further than Mulligan Plant & Agri Contractors.

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James Breen designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 10:53 Page 1

James Breen is well known in Tipperary and surrounding areas

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Tipperary’s hedge-cutting and tree care specialists

ith over a quarter a century’s experience in the industry, Jim Breen is the man to consult when it comes to tree care and hedge cutting. Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with the Tipperary native to find out more about his renowned company.

Based in Foxfort, Co Tipperary, James Breen Tree Care and Hedge Cutting Ltd has established itself as a leader in its field over the past 30 years.

James himself has been involved in hedge-cutting and tree care since back in the days when he used to work for his father, gaining the experience necessary to eventually go out on his own and start up his company.

Better known as Jim by his family and friends, he has managed to build up a business which now boasts a glowing reputation in what it does, with tree and hedge cutting being its two primary functions for clientele.

“We’re based in Foxfort in Bansha, Co Tipperary,” Jim explained.

“I guess you could say that the family business is established 50 years now in total, back from the days when my father first started up an agricultural contracting

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Expert hedge cutting

business. I branched out on my own then 30 years ago hedge cutting and that’s the company that still exists today.

“At the moment we’re employing four fulltime staff here and myself as well. My son James works with me, so it is still very much

a family business, you could say.”

When Jim first went out on his own he primarily focused on local jobs. Over the years, his company’s ability to carry out a highly safe and professional service has helped them to earn a splendid reputation, which in turn has led to Jim gaining contract work with the Electricity Supply Board (ESB).

James Breen Tree Care and Hedge Cutting also carries out work for Eircom, Coillte, Tipperary County Council, Motorway Verge maintenance.

“I branched into work with the ESB and County Council and now most of my work is with the ESB, Tipperary County Council and Motorways maintenance,” said Jim.

CONTACT DETAILS James Breen Tree Care and Hedge Cutting

Address: Foxfort, Bansha, Co Tipperary Mob: Jim 086 260 4121 James: 086 821 5891 An insulated hoist

E-mail: breentreecutting@hotmail.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

James Breen designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 10:53 Page 2

James has built up a great reputation

“All in all, we’re probably working with ESB close to 25 years now. I’ve done past work for the County Council for about 15 years but we are working exclusively for ESB at the moment.

“What we do is mostly pruning trees, hedge cutting, long-reach services, cherry picker, wood chipping, tree removal and tree maintenance. We do verge and tree cutting for motorways as well, so we’ve a couple of tree surgeons, and the machinery you need for jobs that require a long reach.”

Jim’s line of work hasn’t seen him overly affected by the economic climate. It is, however, fairly dependant on the weather in many ways.

Stormy days in Ireland will lead to fallen trees and power outages and this sees Jim and his staff on call and heading outside, while others stay in, Jim and his crews goes to work with ESB to try and get the lights back.

For Jim, it’s the type of work he has been involved in all his life and he’s happy to report busy times as of late.

“Business is very good at the moment and the downturn didn’t affect us all that much,” said the Tipperary man.

“When the storms hit it brought up a lot of work for us and people need us to be there for them because they’re concerned about the dangers.”

As always, safety is paramount at James Breen Tree Care and Hedge Cutting and Jim explained that when it comes to this line of work, you need to have an ample safety record in order to get these contracts.

Jim and his staff have compiled a top level safety record down through the years and it’s one of the core reasons why the company is flourishing at present.

“The safety record comes into it big time,” he stated. “You have to have a safe system of working and all your lads working for you have to be trained up to standards to operate the machines.

“That comes into play at tendering stage for major contracts and you have to be able to prove you are a safe outfit. That comes back to your safety records and safety management system .

Undertaking work for ESB

Grass cutting on the road network

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15

James Breen designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 10:53 Page 3

At work on a motorway

“There can be a very high risk with some of the machines we’re operating here, whether it be a cherry picker or a chainsaw.”

More than 30 years in business has saw Jim’s venture manage to build up a solid reputation, along with an impressive company fleet.

For his hedge-cutting, Jim uses Arbocut, which is Ireland’s leading brand when it comes to the manufacturing of hedge-cutting equipment. He also trusts heavily in the New Holland brand and operates a JCB Fastrac in his fleet as well.

“I have two long-reach saw machines – both of which are Irish built,” Jim explained.

“I’ve Ford, New Hollands and a JCB Fastrac; two wood chipping machines, four vans and a McConnell hedge-cutter as well. The fleet we have is a good size for the amount of work we have on

right now and if it continues to get busier we will probably have to bring in some new machinery.

He added: “I find New Holland to be a very reliable brand. We used to have Zetor tractors here but ever since we switched over to New Holland we’ve stuck with them.”

The summer months tend to differ from winter for Jim in that he is mostly pre-occupied with power line clearing and verge mowing rather than hedge cutting and tree removal. He is happy to keep it that way too, so as they’re kept busy all year round.

2016 has been good this far for James Breen Tree Care and Hedge Cutting and their Managing Director is hoping for more of the same as the months roll by.

“The hope is to keep safe and keep going like we’re going at the minute. If we can do that we should be fine,” he concluded.

Continued Best Wishes To James Breen Tree Care & Hedge Cutting From

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An EP Saw in action

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The retail shop is manned by Lar McGrath and Breda Brennan

Reviewing current IT projects are Sean McGowan, Paul Treacy (IT Manager), Ger Flynn

A Co-Op with a difference

T

here are many farmer owned co-ops throughout the country all of which cater for the thousands of farmers operating throughout Ireland.

Farming in an integral part of the Irish community and co-ops take their pride of place in that sector.

The oldest independent farming co-op in Ireland is located in Mullinahone, Co Tipperary. The premises first opened its doors in 1893 and amazingly it has been operating from the same location ever since.

Mullinahone Co-Op is far more than just a place for farmers to send their milk as it has come to be regarded as a one-stop shop for the farming community and for this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri we profile this ever-growing business and take a closer look at the services that they provide with the help of the Co-Op’s CEO Ger Flynn.

The Cork native joined the company as a Financial Controller in 1996 and straight away he could see that this was a business that was eager to move with the times.

“When I first came here, Gerry Barrett

CONTACT DETAILS Mullinahone Co-operative Dairy Society Limited, Mullinahone, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Main Office Tel: +353 52 915 3900 Fax: +353 52 915 3285 E-mail: sales@mull-coop.ie

Eurotags Tel: +353 52 915 3102 Fax: +353 52 915 3512 E-mail: eurotags@mull-coop.ie

Compsey Creamery Tel: +353 52 915 3917 Fax: +353 52 915 3955 E-mail: compsey@mull-coop.ie Opening Hours Mon-Fri 9.00am-1.00pm 2.00pm-5.30pm

Laser printing of Eurotags from l/r: Mary Murray, Catherine Gunn, Liam Egan, Catriona Walsh IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Group Websites tags.mullinahonecoop.ie www.mullinahonecoop.ie www.compsey.ie

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mullinahone designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 10:52 Page 3

and Michael Dwyer were managing the business and both men were very forward thinking and were keen to take the company forward,” said Ger. The Co-Op is made up of a management team that answers to an elected board of 12 farmer shareholders.

Along with the individual managers of its’ business units it has a full time Financial Controller, Sean McGowan and full time IT Manager, Paul Treacy.

“Given the number of business units that we have it is essential that we have a strong financial and IT resource and Sean and Paul form a key part of the overall management of the business” There are six different sections to the business and they are milk assembly, cheese manufacture, animal identification ear-tags, agri-stores wholesale, oil distribution and a farm retail shop.

First of all, we’ll take a look at milk assembly where today 25 local dairy farmers supply all of their milk to the coop.

“In 1993, the year the co-op celebrated its’ 100th birthday, we had 56 milk suppliers but over the years this number has declined. Today our 25 milk suppliers produce approximately 11 million litres and with one exception they are all spring calving herds” revealed Ger. Ger is quick to highlight the support that is given to the co-op by Glanbia.

“Glanbia collect all of our milk and we have for many years benefited from the close relationship that we have particularly in the areas of improving herd management and milk quality.”

The cheese manufactured at the co-op trades under the brand Compsey Creamery and this part of the business was set up in 1985 and it has grown significantly over the years to where it is now producing 55-60 tonnes of product per week.

“We produce cottage and soft cheese, yoghurt (natural & Greek), sour cream, crème fraiche and mascarpone cheese.

This is all manufactured for the food service and food ingredient sectors with two thirds of production being exported to the U.K, France and Spain. The factory is BRC accredited and much credit for this must go to Ann Langley our QA Manager and the genuine interest and pride that all of our cheese production staff take in this business.”

“This end of the business adds value to the milk. It can be a challenging business due to the ongoing volatility of milk prices and currency movements, but we have cornered a niche in the market that IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

A vat of cottage cheese being drained by Ann Langley (Quality Assurance Manager) and Michael Gahan

works for us.”

A key business for the co-op operates under the name of Eurotags and this business is managed by Liam Egan.

Eurotags supplies all of the official bovine animal identification ear-tags for Southern Ireland under a contract with the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine. In addition Eurotags supplies approximately 50% of the official identification ear-tags for sheep.

Ger is quick to acknowledge the role of Liam Egan in the management of this business. “Over the years Liam and his team have responded and adapted very well to the changing demands of official animal identification ear-tags in this country.”

Ger highlighted the introduction of a tissue sampling ear-tag as part of the National BVD eradication programme and the key role Liam played working very closely with the many interested parties in ensuring the success of this

programme.

“In recent years Liam has overseen the introduction of official electronic ear-tags on a voluntary basis for bovine animals and the launching of a website http://tags.mullinahonecoop.ie where farmers can now order their official eartags online.”

“The Eurotags business has significantly raised the profile of Mullinahone Co-op. Year on year we have direct contact with every farmer in the country”.

Another business that has given the coop a significant national profile is it’s Agri-stores wholesale business. This business is managed by local man Liam O Brien, the business has a long history in sourcing Irish made products and the importation of a wide range of agriproducts from abroad and wholesaling them throughout the 32 counties of Ireland.

“Our product range is significant

A board of management meeting takes place. From l/r: Sean McGowan (Financial Controller), Liam Egan (Eurotags General Manager), Ger Flynn (General Manager), Liam O’Brien (General Manager Agri-wholesale)

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The company’s oil lorry along with staff from l/r: Kieran Gahan, Valerie Boland, Richie McNamara

consisting of established and developing brands. We have a team of four sales managers on the road who are supported by our sales office, warehousing and repairs service staff”.

Farm requisites are supplied to all Co-op stores and a large number of private Agri/Hardware stores nationwide for sale to farmers on a daily basis. A strong ingredient of this business is service to the customer “everything we sell we service” The co-ops retail agri-store sells all of the products that are distributed by the wholesale business together with many of the other items that a farmer requires in the day to day running of his farm business. ”Lar McGrath and Breda Brennan man our agristore and they are very popular with our local farmer customers and endeavour to provide a good service to all customers”.

All your home heating and agri diesel needs are also catered for at the co-op as since 1981 the co-op has operated an oil distribution business for the people of the locality.

“Up to this year, local man Dick Egan was the main driving force behind this business. Following his retirement another local man Kieran Gahan has

20

taken over from Dick. We deliver home heating oil and agri diesel to a customer base within a 20-mile radius of our oil depot.”

In total there is a team of 75 people employed by Mullinahone Co-Op and each and every one of them play their part in the on-going success of this unique business.

In conclusion Ger says that “Everyone past and present has made a contribution in the development of this business. A key part of our success is that we are fortunate that we have a very progressive board of management who are very supportive of management in the ongoing development of the co-op.”

The Agri-Wholesale team: Front row l/r: Liam O’Brien (General Manager Agri-wholesale), Mary T Mockler (Marketing & Promotions), Philip O’Halloran (Purchasing). Back row l/r: Michael O’Brien, Francis Mann, George Barfoot, Pat Brett IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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www.mullinahonecoop.ie 16.11.2015 10:33:56

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Keith, George, James and John Roulston

Donegal’s premier milk production partnership

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he Roulston family in Newtowncunningham, County Donegal have been producing high-quality milk dating back to the early 1960s. We caught up with partner Keith Roulston to find out more about this exceptional family-run dairy enterprise, which currently milks close to 500 purebred Friesians.

Nobody said it was going to be easy.

The life of the Irish dairy farmer is extremely challenging at the best of times and depressed milk prices mean that primary producers are currently being pushed to the pin of their collars. For over five decades the Roulston family have come through many lows; by virtue of

22

their proven durability, one gets the distinct impression that they will also weather the current storm and push forward, continuing to produce premium produce through their exceptional selfsufficient operation.

The addition of 150 acres in the autumn of 2014 brought the total land famed by Roulston Brothers Dairy Farm close to 700 acres. With post-quota cow numbers having climbed to 470, siblings Keith, John and George oversee a significant operation. There’s no doubting the quality of the milk produced, but maintaining the business as a viable commercial entity is a tough, tough station – a challenge which requires incredible fortitude, perseverance, organisation and determination.

“I’ve been milking cows for 35 years now and you are on a journey the whole time,” says Keith. “You have to set yourself targets to reach and, as you achieve them, you have to keep setting new ones.

Circumstances and conditions are always changing and you need to be able to

CONTACT DETAILS Roulston Brothers Farm

Moneymore, Newtowncunningham, Co. Donegal

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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adapt and cope with whatever is thrown at you.

“We’re at the stage now where output might increase but income doesn’t. You are running to a standstill. As we produce more milk, we are finding that profits are not going up, due to falling milk prices.

Ironically, we were better off when we were milking 250 cows. Our profits were bigger. The dairy market is being squeezed at the moment but you have to dig your heels in and hope that the market improves.”

Reflecting on the genesis of the business, Keith continues: “Our parents Robert and Florence married in 1959 and they started to sell milk to Lagan Creameries in ’61.

That continued up until 1969, when they installed one of the first herringbone milking parlours in County Donegal.”

Keith started studying at The Royal School in Raphoe in 1973. In ’76, the home farm got hit with IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

The impressive milking parlour

brucellosis and they were completely wiped out, losing a herd of over 60 dairy cows. After finishing at Raphoe, Keith went on to attend Gorteen Agricultural College. In 1981, along with his father, he purchased 34 heifers from Moy Park

in Dungannon, County Tyrone and the dairy enterprise was resurrected.

“The quotas in ’83 was the next thing,” he recounts. “We were milking up to 70 at that time and the quota didn’t really affect us too much through the ‘80s.

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However, in 1988/89, we had a major superlevy bill and we bought a second farm some 60-70 miles away to keep us milking.

“We continued along those lines and were battling the quota every year as there were three of us here and two farms. It was difficult every year but we kept growing as much as we could and kept milking. It was a gradual, steady growth and we had time to adjust. But, of course, as numbers go up, your problems change…”

The second farm was sold in 2000. Incredible levels of patience were needed to find a replacement… “We were trying to find one closer to home and waited almost 15 years to get the right one. In September, 2014, we bought 150 acres. We had become too dependent on rental land, where somebody else is dictating terms to you. We’re in a good place now in that the whole platform is all surrounding the home farm, although we are still somewhat exposed to rented land, which is volatile.”

All of the milk produced by Roulston Brothers Dairy Farm goes to Lakeland Dairies. With the first quota-free twelve-

Milkman Alan Stewart

month term coming to an end, Keith predicts output of approximately three million litres for the period from April 1st – March 31st. “This will be our first year with complete freedom.

The quota system was keeping people in shackles but we are seeing now what can be done if you have reasonable grass.

Our cows are predominantly grass-fed but we also include some whole crop maize and wheat in their diets – another necessity which comes with increased numbers. When you are

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Best Wishes & Continued Success To ROULSTON BROTHERS FARM From

Milford, Co. Donegal | Tel:074-915 3333 IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Roulston Farm designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 14:45 Page 4

milking cows, you have to keep them fed and happy and content.”

The levels of science involved in dairy farming today are unrecognisable from when Robert and Florence Roulston started milking 55 years ago. “From soil management right through the entire production process, everything has to be right,” says Keith. “The cows need to be properly fed and you have the potential for things to go wrong on a very large scale if the soil, the grass, the lime etc. aren’t all right.

“At the moment, we are doing butterfat at 4.8-5% and protein at around 3.9. You have to try to keep the constituents up – that’s the only way to make up the gap on milk price.”

Rearing their own calves each spring and producing all their own silage, Roulston Brothers Dairy Farm is a wholly self-sufficient operation. Continuous investment in accommodation and machinery ensures complete animal comfort and optimal performance, while the BouMatic milking parlour delivers a milking time of two hours twice a day (28 double-up or 56 rapid-exit).

Regarding the ongoing challenge of not alone producing high-quality milk but also turning over a healthy profit, Keith concludes: “You can only cut your costs so far. At some point, you can’t cut them anymore. For example, it you stop feeding them minerals, you can make short-term savings but will end up with a long-term nightmare. You can only go so far before you are damaging the business.

“Obviously, you need to be taking enough money out of it to be making a profit but unfortunately at the moment we are not at a level where we can do that.

If the price of milk doesn’t increase during 2016 then a lot of dairy farmers will have their bank managers asking them serious questions.

“Our overheads are constant. Every

year there’s something else that has to be done. If it isn’t cow housing, then it’s housing for the young calves or in-calf heifers. You are constantly spending.

You have to if you want to maintain high standards.”

Roulston Brothers Dairy Farm is synonymous with the very highest

standards. But, like every dairy enterprise the length and breadth of the country, they could do with some help from factors outside their own control to maximise the sustainability going forward of this enduring and resolute family business.

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Continued success to all at Roulston Brothers Farm 25

albert jones dairy designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:32 Page 1

The business started in 1966

A

Half a century of excellence

lbert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies provide unrivalled sales, installation and call-our services across County Fermanagh and beyond. We travelled to their Ederney base and met Mark Jones to find out more about this exceptional family operation.

It’s a landmark year for Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Specialising in new and used milking parlours, and agents for DeLaval milking equipment, including the superb DeLaval VMS robotic milking system, they also stock a large range of new and secondhand agricultural machinery.

Very much a family-run business, with the third generation now at the helm, Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy

26

Supplies offers a 24/7 call-out service and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to aftersales, ensuring complete customer satisfaction at all time. The exceptional levels of customer service provided (covering installation, servicing and repairs) perfectly complement the highquality range of equipment sold.

Reflecting on the genesis of the business, Mark notes: “My grandfather, Albert, started it up in 1966. He came from a modest farming background – as did his father before him. There was a grocery shop here first and then he started selling agri machinery and dairy supplies. We still do both today.”

Selling a full range of agricultural machinery, Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies are agents for Redrock Engineering machinery and Ifor Williams trailers. They also sell a wide range of milking parlours and milking equipment, including both robotic and

conventional units.

Business remains brisk, despite the obvious challenges facing the dairy sector in particular. “We’re fairly busy and have plenty of work on, which is perhaps surprising seeing as milk prices have gone so low and dairy farmers are coming under so much financial pressure,” continues Mark, who has been steering

CONTACT DETAILS Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies

4 Market Street, Ederney, County Fermanagh.

Tel: 02868 631251 www.facebook.com/AlbertJJonesDairy Supplies IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

albert jones dairy designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:32 Page 2

The firm have 50-years of experience

Displaying at a show

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

the Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies ship for the past four years.

“We are in the process of building new premises at the minute, here on the old site. The existing shop will be demolished and a new one will be built, which we hope to open sometime around August / September.”

Demand is strong across the business as a whole.

“We’ve been with DeLaval for 40 years and we’re doing a lot of milking parlours and robots.

There’s a good bit of work on at the minute, so we’re happy with that.”

High levels of repeat business are testament to the excellent service provided, while positive word of mouth frequently culminates in new business. Installing a proven product such as DeLaval also helps. “They are the market leader in dairy equipment, with 60% of cows worldwide milked in DeLaval facilities. They have a good name and are

a great, reliable product,” says Mark, who covers a catchment area comprising all of Fermanagh as well as parts of counties Tyrone and Armagh.”

Demand for robots is growing steadily and Mark expects this trend to continue as more and more dairy farmers recognise and embrace the many benefits of these labour-saving automatic milking systems.

“We started selling robotic milking machines in 2012 and we have already installed close to 30, so we are up and running and it’s very steady.

“There are a lot of benefits.

It’s something that works 24 hours a day and it’s very easy to maintain. The farmer is saving a lot of labour and cows will produce more milk with better feeding systems.”

Aftersales service on all machinery and milking systems is paramount. In this respect, Albert J Jones leaves absolutely nothing to chance and the mobile phone is always switched on. “We have three service vans on the road and there is always somebody on call, 24 hours a

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day, 365 days per year,” Mark confirms.

As a strong family business providing a friendly, personal touch to customers, Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies also generates gainful employment for a team of seven, including Mark, his wife Kathryn and

father Bert.

Mark is confident that 2016 will be another busy year and, going forward, he predicts that robotic milking systems will become as popular as traditional milking parlours. “I think it will be 50/50

Another example of the firm’s work

between robotic and conventional milking systems,” he states. “There are still a lot of customers for conventional milking machines and we will cater for those. We will look after all our customers fully and treat them as a priority. We are here to supply the customer with whatever he wants and we have the experience and knowhow to install whicever system he requires.”

Like the rest of us, Mark is hoping for an increase in milk prices sooner rather than later. “The low prices are putting a lot of pressure on dairy farmers and it’s not an easy job at the best of times,” he concludes.

“They deserve better and hopefully they will get some respite in 2016.

Those people are there on their farms working hard seven days a week to produce quality produce and, at the moment, they are getting no real return.

It’s not right. I’d really like to see that changing.”

R.W. LOANE TYRES Car, Jeep, Truck, Quad, Implement and Tractor Tyres In Stock Agent For BKT Agrimax Specialists In Vulcanising Repairs

Wishing Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies Continued Success

C ROWLEY

Phone:028-686 31385

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Albert J Jones Agri Equipment & Dairy Supplies, From

ENGINEERING

Feed Bins 4T-80T, Flexi Augers, Parlour Feeders, Batch Feeders, Diet Feeder Augers, Pig Feeding, Grain Equipment, Home Milling

Local Dealer David Russell 07770-967170 sales@crowley.ie

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www.crowley.ie

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

brian nicholson designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:02 Page 1

Hard at work!

S

Learning with experience

heep farmer Brian Nicholson of Tullyvolty House Farm in Johnstown, Kilkenny is passionate about what he does and, along with his wife Alison, runs a progressive and sustainable operation.

Sheep farming is an important indigenous industry in Ireland, with widespread production throughout the country and some 35,000 flock owners at farm level.

Unlike production in other European and IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

southern hemisphere countries where sheep farmers. That being said, seeing all large scale intensive production is the the lambs out in the field makes the norm, sheep meat production in Ireland constant toil worth it. remains largely a traditional farming activity, where small holdings are carefully tended by farmers with a proud CONTACT DETAILS tradition of excellence in food production.

Brian Nicholson certainly fits that bill Brian Nicholson and the lambing season was well Sheep Farmer underway when Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with him - “500 to 600 ewes Tullyvolty House Farm have lambed at this stage,� he revealed.

Johnstown Lambing time is very hands-on and Co. Kilkenny spare time is a scare commodity for

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Natural Irish lamb, reared in the temperate climate and near organic conditions of Ireland's unspoilt countryside, has an internationally recognised reputation for quality. Its delicate flavour, wholesomeness and versatility has earned Irish lamb a special place in the hearts of consumers throughout Europe.

Grassland management is a cornerstone of Brian's approach when it comes to looking after his flock of 1,100 ewes on his farm's 108 ha.

“It goes without saying that one of the key components is doing it as cheaply as possible to maximise profit,” he answered when asked the secrets behind a successful sheep farm.

“Grazed grass is what I aim for and I try

Johnstown-based sheep farmer Brian Nicholson

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Tullyvolty House Farm is home to 1,100 ewes

to get as much out of that as possible.

“We keep our stock outside as much as possible, keep them out grazing. That results in housing for shorter periods which cuts down on costs. We added an extra shed last year that can hold 500 ewes lambing down.

“We've a couple of other sheds which can hold 100 each and we've roughly 130 individual pens around the yard.

“Grass is the one thing I am passionate about and I'm alway trying to improve the grazing practices on the farm. Five years ago when I started down this road, I thought eight ewes per hectare was a high stocking rate but I've learned with experience and I'm up to 12 now.”

Brian's appetite for continuous learning has stood him in good stead up to this point - “The day that you think you know it all, it’s time to give it up!” - and he has a word of advice for all the aspiring young farmers out there...

“I would advise all young farmers to get as much experience as possible. They should travel and experience all the different aspects of farming and get insights to help them decide what way they want to go.

“There's every chance that they might change direction with a bit of experience.

Initially, I wanted to stay in cattle but I discovered that there was a few more pound to be made in sheep and life is a

“Grazed grass is what I aim for and I try to get as much out of that as possible” IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

brian nicholson designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:02 Page 3

little bit easier thanks to the handling facilities.”

What are the biggest challenges Brian faces in the day-to-day operations of his sheep farm?

“The weather is number one. It's either with you or against you, there's no middle ground. Price is another, trying to predict what the price will be the following year can cause problems when it comes to planning for the months ahead. Unfortunately, that's not something that you have much control over.

“Controlling your inputs is the next step.

You should always focus on just buying what you need.”

Brian took over the running of Tullyvolty House Farm 10 years ago following the passing of his grandfather Thomas who was a well-known figure in the world of horse racing “I did a year in Kildalton agricultural college and was farming in my own right on rented grounds. My grandfather has bought Tullyvolty House when he got married in the fifties. My father John farms and trains horses on a separate block of land while my brother Sam works with horses in the States.”

A typical day in the life of Brian involves a 6am start to check on the sheep in the sheds and then the fields. 11pm finishes are common place at this busy time of year. He employs one part-time person and student vets during the Spring for an extra bit of help.

Are there any plans in the pipeline for further expansion?

“I have scope to expand but I don't want to expand too much because it's mainly me on my own and I don't want to be running around, flat out all the time, particularly with a young family. I've one daughter, Mia (5), and one son, Drew (3), and they pulled their first lambs this year!”

Like father, like children!

Best Wishes To Tullyvolty House Farm, From

BUILDING SUPPLIES PLUMBING & HEATING TOOLS & HARDWARE Main Street, Rathdowney, Co. Laois Tel: 0505- 46177 www.midlandhardware.ie Best wishes to Tullyvolty House Farm, from

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Tullyvolty House Farm From

BALLYJOHNBOY TRANSPORT LT D

Freshford Road, Kilkenny Tel: (056) 772 1705

www.facebook.com/DaltonsChancellorsMills/ IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Ballyjohnboy, Graignamanagh, Co. Kilkenny

T: 087-2404013 31

mcgrath refrigeration designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:17 Page 1

David McGrath Refrigeration has a fleet of service vans on the road

M

Forty years of David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd

any dairy farmers in the south-east have availed of the services of David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd, which is celebrating 40 years in business. Operating from a oneacre site at Newrath on the Kilkenny-Waterford border, the company has earned a reputation for prompt and high-quality refrigeration service and costsaving workmanship.

dairy refrigeration for bulk milk cooling, air-conditioning, and agricultural and horticultural product storage.

“The dairy sector accounts for about 50 per cent of our business,” David explains.

“We do a lot of installation and repairs and supply new and second-hand bulk milk cooling tanks to farmers throughout the south-east and beyond. We can service and repair any make of tank. The rest of business is concentrated in the transport refrigeration, air con and agricultural and horticultural product While the company undertakes all kinds storage areas. We specialise in air of refrigeration work, it specialises in conditioning sales, installation and transport refrigeration sales and service, maintenance as well as cold storage

32

CONTACT DETAILS

David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd Newrath, Waterford.

Telephone: 051 873008 Mobile: 087 2589058 Fax: 051 873639

Email: info@davidmcgrathrefrigeration.com Web: www.davidmcgrathrefrigeration.com

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

mcgrath refrigeration designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:17 Page 2

From left to right: A silo being installed; A heat recovery unit;The company installs and services a wide range of transport refrigeration equipment in vans and trucks

working relationship with Kingston Refrigeration Services Ltd in Dunmanway, Co. Cork and Kilkenny Cooling Systems Ltd in Hebron Industrial Estate, Kilkenny, having installed countless bulk milk cooling tanks for both over the years. Kingston Refrigeration Services Ltd supplies and installs Mueller bulk tanks to customers all over Ireland. Mueller milk cooling tanks are manufactured in the Netherlands and produced from 100 per cent polished stainless steel. Manufacturing quality, finish and cooling efficiency ensures that Mueller stands out from the rest.

Like Kingston Refrigeration Services, Kilkenny Cooling Systems is an established and respected name in the Irish refrigeration industry.

The company’s brand is synonymous with high quality, highly innovative products and excellent customer service. It

systems.

“We have a good name in the industry which has been built through hard work and dedication. If a milk tank or any of our products are installed right, they won’t give trouble,” the affable managing director assures us.

David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd services all makes of refrigerated bulk milk coolers promptly. It also supplies and installs new and second-hand milk tanks and water heaters. The company’s fully shocked service vans cover the south-east seven days a week.

“We have two Ford Transit service vans on the road which cover the southeast seven days a week,” David points out.

The company enjoys an excellent IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

manufactures everything from milk tanks to beer coolers.

In addition to its dairy refrigeration service, David McGrath Refrigeration installs and services a wide range of transport refrigeration equipment, from that in small vans to 40ft containers.

Spare parts for all the leading refrigerated units, such as GAH, ThermoKing and Carrier, are supplied and fitted for a very competitive price. A range of GAH units are also supplied and installed.

The family business also supplies and services Mitsubishi, LG and Dakin air conditioning units. These range from small domestic units to large commercial and office equipment. The McGrath’s have installed and routinely service units in hospitals, hotels, shops, factories, hair salons etc. Their work is fast and nonintrusive, which is very important in retro-

Iverk Produce is a valued customer of David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd

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fitting.

David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd has completed several projects in the agricultural / horticultural refrigeration area across the south-east down the years. It undertakes such projects from the planning stage to final start-up, and implements a maintenance programme to keep the plant running in optimal condition over its lifetime.

This is a rapidly-growing side of the business due to the flourishing agri-food sector. Every product has a different optimal storage temperature and David and his team can guide and advise the customer to select the right equipment for his / her needs.

The company has a large number of vegetable growers on its books. These include O’Shea Farms and Iverk Produce in nearby Piltown, Co. Kilkenny and Leo Dunne Ltd in Durrow, Co. Laois. O’Shea Farms and Iverk Produce are among the largest potato growers in the country and also supply quality fresh fruit and vegetables to wholesalers, retail shops, hotels, catering services and restaurants across the south-east. Leo Dunne Ltd has been growing carrots for four generations and also prepacks conventional and organic carrots of the highest quality, which can be found on shop shelves nationwide. It is one of only five dedicated carrot growers in Ireland.

David concludes by thanking his customers for their continued support: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their loyalty over the years. They have stuck with us because of the quality of our workmanship, the promptness of our service and the competitive rates we offer.

“For a high quality refrigeration service, be sure to give us a call.”

Here’s to the next 40 years of David McGrath Refrigeration Ltd!

Best Wishes To David McGrath Refrigeration From THE COMPLETE ELECTRICAL WHOLESALER Installing Solar?

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BEST WISHES TO ALL AT DAVID MCGRATH REFRIGERATION, FROM

Continued Best Wishes To David McGrath Refrigeration From

GRANNAGH, KILMACOW, WATERFORD Telephone: 051-878195 F:051-858977 E: kielymeats@eircom.net Wishing DAVID MCGRATH REFRIGERATION Continued Success

FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIERS Piltown Co. Kilkenny.

Email: info@osheafarms.ie

34

www.osheafarms.ie

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

dunn designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:13 Page 1

e customer comes first at Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery

D

eLaval agents Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery of County Down offer milking solutions tailored precisely to their customers needs and have 34 years of satisfied customers to prove it.

DeLaval is a world leader in the dairy farming industry, providing integrated milking solutions designed to improve dairy farmers’ production, animal welfare and overall quality of life.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

DeLaval offers automatic and conventional milking systems, cooling and feeding systems, effluent & housing systems and farm management support systems.

DeLaval customers can also choose from a wide range of services and consumables which are grouped in four portfolios: liners & tubes, farm supplies, services & original parts, and milk quality & animal health.

Every day millions of dairy animals are milked, fed and maintained by DeLaval

CONTACT DETAILS Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery 84 Newtownards Road Donaghadee County Down BT21 0PT Tel: 028 9188 3243 Fax: 028 9188 8483

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dunn designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:13 Page 2

solutions in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In County Down, Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery is the place to go to to find out all you need to know about DeLaval's extensive portfolio of products and how they can contribute to the smooth running of your dairy operation.

Father and son duo, Francis and Andy Dunn share the workload along with their four employees. Established in 1982 by Francis, Andy bought into the dealership 16 years ago and, since then, they have developed a reputation which is the envy of many of their competitors.

“The work that is put into the equipment is incredible, it's definitely rated as first class and that's why I would never hear of anybody saying anything bad about it,” replied Andy when asked 'why should people choose the DeLaval brand for all their milking requirements?'.

“They are a worldwide company and they are number one for a reason,” he added.

“My father, Francis worked for DeLaval's predecessor so he knew what he was getting himself into when he set up the business 34 years ago.

Experience is also something that we have on our side. We specialise in the milking machinery end of the market but we also do a lot of kitting out of buildings from scratch.”

Maintaining milk yield during a cow’s lactation period typically requires a cow to be milked twice a day – with maximum

36

time spacing between milking.

This means that all of a farmer’s activities must be scheduled around the milking process on the farm. These milking routines put restrictions on time management and also the personal life of the individual farmer, as he is committed to milking in the early morning and in the evening seven days a week regardless of personal health, family responsibilities or social schedule.

By choosing automated processes, including robotic milking arms and voluntary milking, the farmer frees up time from the tedious and tightly scheduled task of milking and is able to concentrate on other areas of his business, like

Best Wishes To Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

dunn designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 12:13 Page 3

Features include...

®

Model Feeder 50

Corrosion resistant stainless steel feed measuring cylinder – delivers 0.5kg per ‘drop’.

Available as double (Type 50D) or single (Type 50S) versions with right or left hand build to suit the parlour layout.

Range of pneumatic controllers and tubing boxes offering a choice of control options.

field work, taking care of equipment, reproduction, calving, handling sick cows or simply spending more time with family.

On larger dairy farms, the quantity of hired labour and their management is reduced and on the family farms, robotic milking brings flexibility and increased quality of life.

In addition, farmers state that milking high yield cows more often (in a voluntary milking system) and on a regular basis improves udder health and lifetime production and thereby impacts farm profitability.

At Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery, their priority is the customer. It’s about building long lasting relationships that live on long after you’ve left their premises.

They appreciate your farm and are fully aware of the trust their customers place in them. Their after-sales service will ensure that your confidence in them is repaid.

“We are committed to providing a quality service to our customers at all times,” Andy said. “We are always trying to better ourselves, all the time, and we pride ourselves on the first class job we do - but we also make sure that the back up there.

“That's the biggest thing as far as I would be concerned.

Solenoid box available to integrate with all types of electronic panels.

System can be tubed for dual control.

ORBY dispensing mechanism provides for accurate, reliable and ‘pilfer-proof’ feeding.

Powered by compressed air for positive and responsive operation.

Push-in fittings used throughout for easy and simple installation.

For further information and prices contact your regular Milking Machine Agent or direct to the Manufacturers.

Orby Engineering Ltd.

26 Seagoe Industrial Estate,Portadown.Co. Armagh BT63 5QD Tel:028-3833 9145 F:028-3835 0540 E:info@orbyengineering.co.uk

Best Wishes To Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery

Where breakdown is concerned, we're on call 365 days of the year, 24 hours.”

On a negative note, global milk prices have fallen by nearly 40 per cent since 2014 on the back of a glut in production, a fall-off in Chinese demand and the Russian trade ban. The slump has wiped more than €800 million off the value of Best Wishes To Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery from All At Ireland’s dairy sector seen average incomes drop by up to €35,000.

As a result, Francis Dunn Farm Supplies & Machinery are also feeling the pinch but, nevertheless, Andy retains an optimistic outlook Fast, Reliable service at unbeatable prices when talk turned to the All products available- Kero, Gas Oil, and Petrol future of the business.

Mini-tanker service- Next Day/ Same Day Delivery “Business could be better Website offering 24/7 ordering, saving plans with easy single and weekly at the moment, there's not payment options doubt about. When farmers Email price alerts available suffer, we suffer. They don't Pump out service available have it and there has been a Office open: Mon-Fri 8am-7pm and Sat 9am-1pm decline in business since Christmas. It's a waiting game but we've been here before and I'm sure we will get out of it. It's just a question of when.”

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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A family aair

K

ennedy Bros Agri Contractors Ltd has been serving the needs of farmers in the midlands and west for over 65 years. Operating from Ballyforan on the RoscommonGalway border, the family-run concern offers a comprehensive agri contracting service which includes silage cutting, round baling, slurry spreading, ploughing, reseeding and plant hire.

Part of the impressive Kennedy Bros Agri fleet

nowadays run by his sons John, Pat and William – who is also a sheep farmer and grandsons John Jnr and Tom Jnr. The quintet are joined in the business by three full-time staff. A 1956 Major, which was the first tractor ever purchased by Tom Kennedy, continues to take pride of place in the yard, having been restored to its former glory by his grandsons a few years ago.

Committed to providing an unrivalled service and complete customer satisfaction, the Kennedy's have a wide range of machinery to carry out your work Established by Tom Kennedy in 1950, quickly and efficiently, providing you with Kennedy Bros Agri Contractors is value-for-money and an alternative to

38

investing in your own expensive equipment. The company's success is down to the knowledge, skill and expertise of its staff, as well as the quality

CONTACT DETAILS Kennedy Bros Agri Contractors Ltd Coolatubber, Ballyforan, Ballinasloe, Co. Roscommon.

Telephone: 087 6222172 (John Jnr) 086 0678221 (Tom Jnr)

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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of its equipment. The family business delivers the value and quality farmers expect from their agricultural contracting partner.

There are 10 tractors within the Kennedy fleet – five Claas, two Case IH and one Deutz Fahr, John Deere and McCormick each. There are four Claas Arion 640s and one Claas Arion 650, which was purchased from Quigley's Garage in Ahascragh, Co. Galway at the start of the year. John Kennedy Jnr is delighted with the new investment, which delivers 180hp, commenting: “It's flying it. We always try to upgrade every year and keep our fleet as fresh as possible.”

The Claas models are complemented by a pair of Case IH CVX 195s, a 250hp Deutz Fahr 630, a John Deere 6910 and a McCormick 135. The John Deere was purchased new in 1999 and continues to great service.

Other plant / equipment operated by the Kennedy's include three John Deere and two Krone grass mowers, three McHale round balers (two Fusion and one normal), a Tanco bale wrapper, a New Holland 9060 forage harvester, a new Case IH 721 loading shovel, two Claas rakes, a Lemken plough, a Kverneland power harrow, a Rabe disc harrow, five silage trailers, two dump trailers, three Major and one HiSpec slurry tankers, a pair of NC 4800 agitators, a Teagle muck spreader and a Mastek Slurry Mate umbilical system. Purchased in 2012, the umbilical system consists of 1,400 metres of piping and features include a dribble bar.

The umbilical application system has many advantages over traditional tanker-based application methods, the main ones being it empties slurry tanks and lagoons much faster, reduces / eliminates soil compaction and reduces fuel consumption as the contractor is not IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Best Wishes To Kennedy Bros Agri From

Best Wishes & Continued Success To

Kennedy Bros Agri

Tel:090-96 30000

Email: info@beckwith.ie www.beckwith.ie Unit 3a, Marina Point, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

Enda Sweeney Best Wishes & Continued Success To Kennedy Bros Agri, From

AGRI & PLANT HIRE LTD

Tel:087-2382627

Ballinahattina, Mountbellew, Co. Galway

MULHERN BROS AGRI CONTRACTING LTD Best Wishes & Continued Success To Kennedy Bros Agri From

Specialise In Self Propelled Silage Outfit | Mowing Round Baling | Ploughing | Reseeding Fertilizing | Lime Spreading Kilmore, Athleague,Co. Roscommon Tel:087-1422312 Tel:087-9009067

Email: endasweeney@gmail.com

AUBURN OIL COMPANY Best Wishes To Kennedy Bros Agri From

Auburn Lodge, Johnstown, Cornafulla, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.

Tel:090-6437050 Mob: 086-2568374

P&D Agri Services Ltd Wishing & Continued Success To Kennedy Bros Agri, From

Specialists In Case IH, New Holland, Kverneland & Welger All Other Makes Catered For

SALES • SERVICE • PARTS

Patrick Dolan 086-3035792 Derek Raftery 086-3639457

Derreen, Kilkerrin, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

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www.irishtractor.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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constantly travelling from the yard to the field. The Kennedy's umbilical system was in high demand last winter when flooding was widespread in their area.

“We were lucky to get Christmas Day off because of all the flooding.

Your heart would go out to the people who were affected by it. I would like to think that we were of some help to them,” recalls John, who notes how umbilical slurry spreading is becoming increasingly popular.

The contractor recently took delivery of a new 4,000-gallon Major slurry tanker to add to its impressive array of slurry spreading equipment.

The Deutz Fahr 630, which is the biggest tractor in the fleet, powers three mowers (one at the front and two butterfly at the back), while the Case IH 195s can power two mowers (one in front and one behind).

As already stated, all machines are upgraded on a regular basis to avoid breakdowns and downtime. The tractors are usually sent to Quigley's Garage for servicing and maintenance.

The Kennedy's are busy all year round with their agricultural contracting business. In the early part of the year, the focus is very much on slurry spreading. The silage and baling season gets underway in May and runs until September. This is a particularly hectic time for the family who will work around the clock to keep their clients happy. It’s followed in the autumn by more slurry spreading.

“At least six months of the year is taken up with slurry spreading. The rest of the year is filled in with silage and round baling, ploughing and reseeding. In addition to these services, my uncle Pat has a New Holland excavator which he hires out.”

According to John, a growing number of the agri contractor's clients are choosing round bales over pit silage. “Most of our customers are suckler farmers and the round bales seem to suit them better. We're cutting 3,000 acres of round bales compared to 2,000 acres of silage per year. It used to be the other way around.”

Kennedy Bros Agri Contractors Ltd has a large and loyal customer-base within a 15-mile radius of Ballyforan. “Our catchment area is from Ballinasloe across to Athlone and up to Roscommon town. We cover three or four counties,” he says.

John concludes by thanking the customers for their continued support: “Some of them have been with us for 50 years. They have stayed loyal to us because we offer a professional, reliable and clean service at a competitive price. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their business and look forward to working for and with them for many more years to come.”

For all your agriculture contracting needs in the midlands and west, look no further than Kennedy Bros Agri Contractors Ltd. IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Eugene Kiernan of Breffni Mushrooms (Photo: Lorraine Teevan)

B

A growing concern

reffni Mushrooms specialise in supplying high quality mushrooms to consumers, retailers and the catering and processing sectors. Company founder Eugene Kiernan spoke to Irish Tractor & Agri magazine about the company's success to date and plans for the future.

Cavan-based Breffni Mushrooms epitomises the progressive and innovative culture in the mushroom industry where entrepreneurial producers grasp every opportunity to increase efficiencies and maximise profits.

The mushroom industry's strong export focus and high employment levels add further to the sector’s contribution to the Irish economy and especially the rural economy.

For instance, the Kiernan family-run operation has a an impressive 330 employees currently on its payroll and, as Eugene himself says, “that's something to be sniffed at in rural Ireland”.

Eugene and his family have been

42

involved in the mushroom business since In addition, they recently launched a 1981 and they set up Breffni Mushrooms stuffed mushroom range which Eugene and his brothers, Pat, Eugene, Tomás in 2002.

On the back of years of experience in and John, have high hopes for as they perfecting the mushroom growing process, over 500,000Ibs of mushrooms are grown on a weekly basis at their four CONTACT DETAILS farms which are located in Ballyjamesduff, Lanesborough, Co Breffni Mushrooms Roscommon and Sterling (Scotland) Kilnaleck while 95% of their produce is exported to Co Cavan the UK. Tel +353(0)49 4336824 Breffni Mushrooms produces 50 Fax +353(0)49 4336788 varieties of mushroom. The company Email: info@breffnimushrooms.com supplies all whites, browns, baby button Website: www.breffnimushrooms.com and flat mushrooms.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

breffni mushrooms designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:43 Page 2

look ahead to the future.

“Mushrooms we pick today are on shelves in the UK tomorrow,” Eugene stated, “ and our clients include Lidl, UK; Aldi, UK; Iceland, Tesco, Lidl, Ireland and Dunnes Stores.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

The team at Breffni Mushrooms (Photo: Lorraine Teevan)

“Our new stuffed mushroom range is produced at a new factory in Cavan which we opened last year and that end of the business employs 15. It's a value added-product, with different recipes and ingredients, and we're very excited about

its prospects.”

At Breffni Mushrooms, they have state of the art facilities to ensure that their mushrooms achieve the very highest quality standards and comply with all retailer specification.

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They invest heavily in constantly modernising their systems, facilities and the latest equipment in ‘Cool-Chain’ collection and delivery systems to ensure their mushrooms reach the shelves as quickly and in the best condition possible.

“There were 700 mushroom growers in Ireland in the nineties and now that number is in the seventies.

“Back then we brought in a new system, a Dutch system. At the time, we were the first mushroom farm in Ireland to adopt the Dutch system. Teagasc and others thought we were mad in the head but, thankfully, we have proven them wrong.

“Quality produce is obviously paramount and because mushrooms have a short shelf life, it's important to get them on the shelves as quickly as possible.

“We're after coming through the worst recession in the history of the state. The food industry was isolated somewhat in a lot of ways but, from a business perspective, dealing with banks was very difficult.

“We're a growing business that employs a vast number of people and we're fit to compete very favourably in the market place from both a quality and freshness perspective.”

Eugene & Co take their environmental responsibilities very seriously and are constantly looking at new ways to reduce the impact their business has on the environment.

Five years ago, Breffni Mushrooms successfully moved away from oil heating to wood chip fuel to run their mushroom growing units.

Energy requirements for mushroom farming can be significant but they reduce the consumption of energy through extensive insulation and close maintenance of their energy requirements.

At Breffni Mushrooms, they do not use any chemicals to sterilise their growing rooms and instead use the power and purity of steam to sterilise and kill bacteria which could reduce production levels.

This natural sterilisation ensures that their mushroom product is of the highest quality and chemical free.

Not content to rest on their laurels, plans are in the pipeline for further expansion at the progressive Breffni Mushrooms.

“The cost cutter retail companies in the UK are growing their market share at the expense of others and we have two choices – stand still or expand. To retain our percentage of their business we have to plan to expand, maybe in Scotland,” Eugene revealed.

At Breffni Mushrooms, they pride themselves on achieving and surpassing the very highest quality standards. Their customers expect quality and they deliver this while complying with rigorous quality assurance, traceability and food safety standards.

Best wishes to Breffni Mushrooms, from

KILDOROUGH

Kildorough, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan

Tel: 049-8545760 Email: kildorough@kildoroughmushrooms.com

44

Ballyjamesduff Courier Services Ltd Best Wishes To Breffni Mushrooms, From

Ballyjamesduff Courier Services Ltd

Aughterara Crosserlough Co. Cavan

CAVAN TO DUBLIN DAILY

Benny 086-2702779 Eugene 086-2551157

Best Wishes To Breffni Mushrooms, From

Western Casing Limited Boyle Road, Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon Tel: 094 -98 70376 Fax: 094-98 70518 Email: westerncasingltd@gmail.com

Best Wishes & Continued Success To

Breffni Mushrooms From

Manufacturer & Supplier of Labels & Tags To Ireland’s Food Industry For 15 Years Contact Ian Bowden 087-6593511 Email: Ian@hblabelprint.ie Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin

Best Wishes To Breffni Mushrooms, From

Est 1987

Contact

Alan 086 1721666 Gerry 086 8513200 www.kilnaleckcarsales.ie

Main Street, Kilnaleck Co. Cavan Ph: 049-433 6522 Email:

sales@kilnaleckcarsales.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

mossie lane designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:48 Page 1

A steel structure being erected

25 years and counting

W

orking from their base in Abbeyfeale Co Limerick Mossie Lane Steel Fabrications has been providing top class steel farm and industrial buildings for over 25 years now.

The reliability and excellent service that his company provides are two of the main reasons why it continues to grow and gain repeat business from its customers.

Indeed the Limerick-based business has grown from strength to strength down through the years and with that comes a large client base; many of which continue to look to Mossie and his staff time and time again when they need steel IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

fabrication work done on their farm.

The services Mossie Lane Steel Fabrications provides include steel fabrication for farm and industrial buildings and with years of experience in the industry they can provide a consistently high level of quality and service to all their clients throughout Ireland.

They ensure that they only source the best quality products and provide the highest quality solutions for all their customers’ structural steel fabrication needs.

Mossie has been involved in this kind of work for what some may consider a lifetime now, as he explained himself.

“We’re based in Abbeyfeale in Co Limerick and we’re established over 25 years. We have 10 full-time working here, all of which are highly qualified and have many years’ experience doing their jobs.

CONTACT DETAILS Mossie Lane Ltd

Address: Caherlane, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick Tel: 087 2602 386 E-mail: mossielane@gmail.com

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mossie lane designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:48 Page 2

Continued Best Wishes To Mossie Lane

Roof Sheeting & Cladding in box and corrugated profiles Curved & Cocktailed • Box Vented Sheeting Non-Drip Roof Sheeting • Tile Effect Roof Sheeting Clear Lights • Galvanised Steel Purlins Flashings Made Any Size • Gutters & Accessories Sliding Door Track • Bolts & Screws • Insulated Panel Cement Fibre Roofing

Bweeng, Mallow, Co. Cork For Quality Products at Quality Prices Tel:021-7333 987 www.irishrollforming.ie Continued success to Mossie Lane from

Best Wishes To MOSSIE LANE

Continued Best Wishes To Mossie lane,From

Commercial Vehicle,Industrial & Agricultural Paints IK&2K Primers & Finishes • Metallic Basecoats and Lacquers Oxides & Machinery Enamels Tullamore, Co. Offaly

Telephone:057- 9351583 NATIONWIDE DELIVERY www.castlepaints.ie

30 Years

In Business Est 1985

Wishing Continued Success To Mossie Lane 46

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

mossie lane designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:48 Page 3

We can fabricate and erect any size of steel building,” he stated.

“Basically what we do is supply and erect farm and industrial steel buildings in and around the Munster area and over the years we’ve built up a fairly solid clientele base.

“I had been doing this kind of work all my life and in 1990 I took the decision to finally go out on my own and haven’t looked back since.”

“Things have definitely improved from a few years ago though, thankfully, and we have projects currently lined up throughout different parts of Limerick, Kerry and Cork, which include farm buildings and industrial work.

“We get a lot of repeat business and I would like to thank out customers for their support over the years.

“We aim to do a good job. We try and supply a high standard of materials and the materials that we supply are all certified,” said Mossie. “We are fully CE certified which is now mandatory for all structural steel buildings.

“The materials that we would be using are all top quality brands from various different companies, whether it be steel, sheeting, cladding or timber.

So we go out of our way to make sure that the best brands possible.

“I think it’s between that and the quality of work that we produce here – they both go a long way when you’re looking for repeat business from customers.”

Busier times for his customers, aligned with new grants coming through, has seen him lined up with plenty of work for the early part of the year and he’ll hope that it continues right through for the coming months.

“We have work ahead of us all of the time, thankfully,” he said. “There are new grants coming in as well which will see a lot of farmers building and we’ve had a lot of enquiries already for the new year, so that’s encouraging.

If you’re looking for assistance with any farm or industrial steel building contact Mossie Lane for a quotation.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Best Wishes To Mossie Lane

47

castleview farm designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:13 Page 1

Christy and Colm Grimes

D

A growing concern

ublin is not only the capital of Ireland, it is also the capital for vegetable growing as the land around the likes of Rush, Skerries, Lusk and Swords to name a few areas has always been ideal for the growth of many vegetables.

Most of the farms that focus on vegetable growing are operated by families over the course of a few generations and for this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri, we profile one such family.

The Grimes family operating under the business name of Castleview Farm Produce Ltd from their premises in Skerries, have been growing leeks, cauliflowers, rhubarb, scallions and grain for many years now and they supply a number of wholesalers with their fresh produce.

Christy Grimes began farming more than 50 years ago and these days his son Colm runs the day to day activities in the business, alongside Christy.

Colm spoke to us about the trials and tribulations of growing vegetables in this country and he stressed the fact that they are at the mercy of the weather in any

48

given season.

“The weather in Ireland is so unpredictable that you can’t plan too far ahead. This year alone has been a disaster for our leek growing as the temperatures in June & July were much lower than normal years and the rest of the year was extremely mild and humid.

This resulted in the crops being very soft

CONTACT DETAILS Castleview Farm Produce Ltd Baldongan, Skerries, Co Dublin

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

castleview farm designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:13 Page 2

and maturing too quickly in the seasons. The Cauliflowers came on too fast which lead to a huge number of unsold produce as the supply was too plentiful and cauliflowers were too large in size,” said Colm.

“You are at the mercy of the weather particularly in the winter as we grow mostly winter vegetables. You just have to take the good with the bad. This is a very competitive market and the margins are very tight and the profits are minimal.”

Colm revealed that despite production costs are continuously going up, vegetables prices have remained unchanged and even dropped slightly in the last few years and this has left it a very tough industry to be involved in.

The technology age has produced all types of machinery for this type of work and Colm added that it was cost effective to invest in the machinery to do the work and cut down on labour costs.

“Where we can use a machine to do a job, we will. It is far more efficient to do it this way and we have invested heavily in recent years to help modernise our working techniques and therefore providing a comfortable working environment for the staff.

We harvest our leeks using a specialised Asa lift leek harvester and have also invested in a Christians Leek trimming/washing and grading line to increase production capacity. The leeks are then automatically packed using a Ulma PV 350 Flow wrapping machine to meet Class 1 supermarket requirements.

In the past, we have planted all our leeks by hand at approximately 700 – 800 plants per hour per person, which works out as a very expensive method of planting, resulting in very high labour costs and potential back ache. This year we hope to invest in a specialised leek planting machine, which will complete the cycle of the leek season from planting, to harvesting, to washing and packing of the leeks crop – bringing the leek production to a maximum efficiency level. And also providing a comfortable working environment for the staff.

Sourcing the proper machinery generally takes the Grimes family to Holland where they see at first-hand what a new machine can do.

“It is all specialised machinery we use for the vegetables and it can’t be bought in Ireland so we go to the manufacturer in Holland.

Scallions are the only crop that cannot be harvested, cleaned or bunched using a machine, and is therefore dependant on manual labour, which means it is extremely expensive to grow.

Harvesting taking place IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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castleview farm designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:13 Page 3

Beautifully grown leaks

“Almost everything can be done by a machine now. We employ ten staff here between full and part time, with some of the people being here a good few years now.”

A Government grant scheme is in place for specialised machinery needed to carry out their duties on the farm.

Best Wishes To Castleview Farm Produce, From

Best Wishes To Castleview Farm Produce

Investment in machinery has assisted the farm

“There is a grant in place at the moment which gives up to 40% on the specialised machinery that we need and this is a huge help to us at the moment.

Without that it we would be very hard for us to invest to the extent that we want too.”

Castleview Farm Produce Ltd supply a wide range of customers including Sam Dennigan, Donnelly Fruit & Veg and Meade Potato Company, Total Produce, C McGee & Sons, to name just a few.

“We have been working with our customers for a long number of years now and we have a great relationship with them. Once we can provide them with the quality goods that they expect then there should be no problem.”

Colm admits that crop rotation means that land can be scarce when it comes to planting vegetables, but he admitted that they are fortunate in that they don’t have to travel as far as some of their neighbours.

“We own our own land, while we rent other ground. There is a group of us here that swap land from time to time if it suits and if we can plant straight away. Some farmers have to travel miles to rent some land, but we’re

fortunate on that front so far.

“This is not an easy business to be involved in, but you just have to keep working hard and making sure that the customers are always kept happy. That is always the main objective. We have suffered numerous setbacks with crops due to the weather, but you just have to carry on regardless and hope your luck will change sooner rather than later.”

Leeks being sorted

Best Wishes To Castleview Farm Produce, From

DUNSANY HORTICULTURAL SERVICES LTD Contact John Hogan

Old Road, Dunsany, Co. Meath Tel:046-9025913 E: dunsanyland@hotmail.com 50

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

tj booth designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:18 Page 1

The team at TJ Booth & Sons pride themselves on customer service.

T

î “e generation game

.J. Booth & Sons is long established as one of the largest family owned manufacturers and distributors of animal feeds in County Tyrone and the surrounding area.

The company's proud traditions and history spans well over a century through four generations of Booth's.Â

The company is based in Ballygawley, where all its activities, from production of feeds in its state-of-the-art mill to distribution, are controlled.

A trace of the company's roots reveals that T.J. Booth & Sons began trading as Collumbrone Stores in 1904. The firm was founded by Thomas James Booth (1872-1955) and continued by his sons Ernest (1912-1986) and Wesley (born 1922).

Back in 2004, it's centenary year, it was under the guidance of his grandson, Arnold who has now passed on the baton to to his two sons, Graham and David.

T.J. Booth was one of two sons of Mr John Booth of Collumbrone who farmed at Collumbrone and who had earlier been a butler for the Moutrays at Favour Royal.

His brother William Booth was a corn miller and sub-postmaster at IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Ballinasaggart before moving to the mill at Milltown, Ballygawley.

T.J. began buying eggs as an agent for the newly established Augher Co-OP in 1902 and then set up on his own two years later. His remuneration in those days was 3d per 10 dozen eggs delivered to the Society's store at Augher. He was also a milk carter to the Co-Op in those early years.

His first premises were in a shop in the corner of his father's two storey dwelling house at Collumbrone. This was a new house built by John Booth in 1869 just seven years after he came to reside in the townland.

It was one of the few two storey slated houses in the area at that time. The shop in those early years served the retail needs of a country district that was two miles from Ballygawley and three from Augher.

It had the usual trade in provisions, light hardware, boots and shoes and paraffin oil. The first major diversification from the egg trade was in meal.

The Newforge Co in Lisburn, who manufactured minerals, installed a meal mixer around 1920. It was at this time that the shop moved to new premises beside the house which now traded as Collumbrone Stores.

In the early days some of the shop hands boarded with TJ. This was to enable them to get up in good time in the morning. T.J. normally rose about 5 o'clock and had his doors open by 8.00.

He worked long hours in the old shop which had an open fireplace encourage some customers to keep late night calling.

In fact, he regularly used to have to call 'Time' at 11.45 on Saturday night as he would not countenance trading on the Sabbath.

By 1930 he had developed a poultry exporting business as well as egg collecting. He was handling turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens and kept two pluckers going night and day.

There was also a great demand for

CONTACT DETAILS T.J. Booth & Sons

Cullembrone Lisdoart Ballygawley Co. Tyrone BT70 2LZ Tel: 028 8556 8229

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tj booth designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 15:19 Page 2

“We supply our own standard blends and also customer specific blends while we also sell fertliser and grass seed.�

rabbits during the First World War period. The eggs were sent to Belfast by rail on the Clogher Valley from Ballygawley to Tynan and then by Great Northern freight.

The meal business continued to expand side by side with the egg and poultry trade. It was hard work then with the raw materials being carried up the loft where it was mixed, bagged, weighed and then lug sowed, before being delivered by lorry.

T.J. bought a flat-bodied Leyland

Beaver about 1936. The principal suppliers of the raw materials were James Clow and Joseph Rank in Belfast and E.T. Green in Derry.

The first telephone was installed in 1930, Booth's being the first phone on the Ballygawley exchange.

By then, T.J. had been joined by two of his sons. Ernest, who served his time with David Patton in Monaghan, took over the shop and meal business while Wesley took charge of the egg store.

By the mid-thirties, 10 people were

Continued Best Wishes To T.J. Booth & Sons

employed including four family members. Miss Georgia Heslip was in charge of the shop.

T.J. was now making way for his sons as arthritis forced him into retirement. He died in 1955 and his wife Mary in 1972.

Ernest then extended the meal business into Fermanagh and began offering a bulk delivery service from 1965. The shop was closed shortly afterwards and the egg packing business about the same time.

Wesley then took on travelling around

are delighted to be associated with T.J. Booth & Sons and wish them continued success 15e molesworth street, cookstown, county tyrone BT80 8NX

t: 028-86762895. f: 028-86765304 e: mail@kellyoneill.co.uk

www.kellyoneill.co.uk

52

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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the farmers in extending the meal sales. At this time Ernest's son Arnold joined him in the business.

Arnold joined the firm after his schooldays at Omagh Academy. He served his time to the grocery and hardware business with T.W. Reynolds in Dungannon and then to the egg trade with Gracey's in George's Street, Belfast.

He married Joan Graham TJ Booth & Sons' is located in Ballygawley, Co Tyrone. in 1973 and soon she joined the business.

Ernest gradually handed the running over the Arnold and retired in 1975. He died in November 1986.

Arnold expanded the bulk trade and today the firm have three rigid bulk lorries, one artic, six trailers and one curtain sider. In addition, they use outside haulage to help them meet the demand for their products.

Arnold and Joan's two sons, Graham and David, are now the fourth generation of the family business, Graham looking after purchasing and sales while David supervises the production of feed.

UFAS registered, TJ Booth & Sons currently have 16 employees on their payroll tonne mixer and 12 storage bins. and the Tyrone company has certainly moved with the times.

“We supply our own standard blends and also customer “We installed a new mill 10 years ago and that has turned the specific blends while we also sell fertliser and grass seed. business around with reference to production efficiency and “The farmer himself is not getting a good price for his produce customer services levels increasing,” Arnold explained. “The so there's not much spend out there at the moment but we new mill consists of 12 outside straight bins, a grinder, four always strive to work with our customers. We've a loyal customer base stretching across counties Donegal, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Armagh, Down and Tyrone and we pride ourselves on our customer service.”

Continued Best Wishes To T.J. Booth & Sons

ADM Arkady Ireland Ltd. 10 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24 D24 TX02

Importers and Wholesalers of Bulk Animal Feeds

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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JF Andrews Designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:14 Page 1

The fleet of vans used by the company

e Farmers’ engineer

T

he adverse weather conditions over the past few months have brought torrential rain to this country, resulting in heavy flooding in the majority of counties.

Farms and dwellings close to river banks have been hit particularly hard and with no insurance company willing to compensate these people, they must take every precaution necessary to keep the damage to the minimum.

As we all know flooding can cause horrendous damage to buildings, outhouses and indeed land in general as it takes months for the recovery to take place.

Pumps and power generators often play a huge part in the farming industry as not only are they needed in a time of crisis, but for every day work also.

There are many makes and types of water and wastewater pumps as well as power generators on the market, but there is a company that provides not only the top brands, but also a wealth of experience in the industry.

Enniskillen based JF Andrews Engineering have been providing solutions for Power Generation, Water

54

and Wastewater Pumping, Water and Water/Wastewater Pumping, Treatment Wastewater Treatment for 60 years. The and Power Generation Plant. company supplies leading brands in its field of expertise including Grundfos CONTACT DETAILS Pumps, Atlas Copco and Power Generation.

JF Andrews Engineering JF Andrews Engineering has built up a 23 Killyvilly Road, reputation for providing a reliable and Enniskillen efficient service to its ever-expanding Co. Fermanagh customer base. The company has a wellBT74 4DS regarded and recognised brand coupled Tel: 0044 (0)28 6632 4884 with extensive experience in design, Fax: 0044 (0)28 6632 4932 supply, installation and commissioning of Email: info@jfaengineering.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

JF Andrews Designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:14 Page 2

Water booster system with water drinkers and standby generator system for robot dairy farm

For this month’s edition of Irish Tractor, we speak to the company’s Sales Engineer Ruairi Molloy about the service that they provide.

“As a company, we are proud to represent some of the leading Pump, Treatment and Power Generation manufacturers in the world. We stock all the leading brands and have an extensive parts department here also,” said Ruairi.

“The business has diversified over the years from when JF Andrews started off first, he was fixing washing machines and involved in some plant hire work, but he was a very innovative man and ahead of his time.”

These days General Manager Paul Gallagher and his experienced Team team deal with thousands of customers throughout the 32 counties.

JF Andrews are now well positioned and supported to provide and deliver solutions for the Water Utility Sector,

The shop floor of JF Andrews Engineering Ltd

Some of the team at JF Andrews Engineering - Paul Gallagher, Paul Kelly and Ruairi Molloy

Commercial, Industrial, Manufacturing, Quarry, Agricultural and Food and Beverage Industries.

“We would have customers in many sectors, but agricultural would probably be the biggest for us. We provide farmers a wide range of services and we

would have a lot of repeat custom. Work is also done for domestic home owners as well as the business sector.”

Experience is a valuable commodity and Ruairi revealed that the team at JF Andrews carried that in abundance.

“We have access to an experienced

A bore hole well and water booster system with water drinker installed on a pig farm IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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JF Andrews Designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:14 Page 3

team of design, Process and Technical Engineers, so that we can provide solutions for any size of Power Generation, Water and Wastewater Pumping and Water Treatment applications.

The Group has a proven track record in the Design, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of power generation, water and wastewater treatment and pumping solutions.

A wide range of pumps for every eventuality are provided by the company and these include Water Pumps, Submersible Pumps Booster Pumps, Borehole Pumps, Booster Pump Stations, Pump Controllers and Pressure Vessels.

With regards treatments, the product range includes Water Softeners, Water Filters & Filtration, Sewage Treatment, Oil Treatment and Consumables.

New and used generators in both petrol and diesel format as well as PTO

Bore well installation carried out by JF Andrews

56

Solar power borehole well for a dairy farm

generators are also available. JF Andrews Engineering are now the official supplier of Atlas Copco’s QIS & QAS within the 32 counties.

“There are no fewer than 18 models in the QIS range and this meets the widest range of power needs. The QIS range targets a wide variety of industries including data centres, healthcare, utilities, manufacturing, retail and recreation, telecommunications, public works, governments, and transportation.”

Installation, service and repair are available on all products with service crews on the road at all times.

“We are busy enough at the moment and definitely you can see an upturn in business over the past 12 months.

Our sales team is

out on the road promoting the business and our products. Our list of services has increased also as the company has evolved.

“We install and maintain oil/water interceptors for new roads and car parks, while we also have forecourt separators that split water from oil, diesel, kerosene, etc.

“These are a few of the newest services that we are providing and our ability to diversify has stood us in good stead over the years.”

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

hanafin designed_Layout 1 28/04/2016 16:08 Page 1

“Your customers need to know that you are reliable and that they can trust you to show up on time and get the work done” - Conor Hanafin

B

A cost-effective and reliable contracting service

ased in Lispole, Co Kerry, Conor Hanafin Agri is a premier agricultural contractor, offering an extensive range of agricultural services to farmers in his locality.

Conor Hanafin has been providing agricultural contracting services since 2008 and his extensive experience and commitment to professionalism has led to a reputation for delivering quality farm services.

He prides himself on giving a personal, quality service, with reliability and attention to detail his key strengths.

Hailing from a dairy background, Conor has extensive knowledge in all areas of farm management and provides his customers with a cost effective and useful alternative for many of their farming operations.

“I set up on my own on April 21st, 2008,” he answered when asked to trace the roots of his burgeoning contracting business. “We run a dairy farm and I also worked for a local contractor for three years before going out on my own.

“I started from scratch and employ three part-time men (Sean, Diarmuid and Jimmy) during the busy summer months with two additional men who provide a back-up service when required.”

In order to meet the ever changing IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Conor Hanafin Agri has been on the go since 2008

market and seasonal requirements in modern farming, Conor is proud to offer a full range of agricultural services. He is flexible in his approach and will always do his best to meet his clients' farming needs.

The extensive list of services he specialises in includes baled silage, slurry spreading, spraying, ploughing, leveling and reseeding, fertiliser spreading, dump

CONTACT DETAILS Conor Hanafin Agri

Puckisland Lispole Co.Kerry Mobile: 086 1541655

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trailer hire and ground works in addition to all types of farm work, fencing, boundry repairs etc.

Committed to investing in new machinery, Conor maintains a fleet of modern and reliable equipment.

For instance, he recently took delivery of a new Fusion 3 baler and mulcher for 2016.

By utilising Conor Hanafin Agri's services, farmers free up more time to concentrate on others areas of their farm and eliminate the need to invest large sums of money in equipment that they may only need a few times in a year.

His reputation is important to Conor and is proud of the long list of loyal customers he has built up over the last eight years. His provides a punctual service which helps remove any stress from his clients' farming operations.

“A lot of my customers have been with me from the start while I'm picking up a few extra here and there.

“When I say I'll be there, I'll be there. Time is a big thing with farmers and in this game you have to be punctual. Your customers need to know that you are reliable

and that they can trust you to show up on time and get the work done.”

How is business going at this point in time? “Every year is picking up. If the milk and beef prices are good the farmer has more money to spend but we're also very much at the mercy of the weather. You could be on the go for three days and then parked up for a week.

“The baling side of things is very weather dependent. Then the price of diesel and price of plastic are serious issues at the moment.

“What will the future hold, who knows? I would be optimistic, however. Dairy is expanding big time but the weather and running costs are the two key things in this business.”

Offering a full range of agricultural services at competitive prices, call Conor today to chat to a reliable and trusted contractor.

He gleans an enormous amount of satisfaction from his work which continues to be a great source of pride to him.

He appreciates the fact that their

Conor provides an extensive list of contracting services to local farmers

Kerry Lamb & Wool Co-Op

Continued Best Wishes To Conor Hanafin Agri From

TMP Repairs Limited

TMP Repairs has the solution to all your problems!

Lispole, County Kerry Phone: 087 9737920 Email: tmprepairs@gmail.com www.tmprepairs.ie Wishing Continued Success To Conor Hanafin Agri Wishing Conor Hanafin Agri all the best

QUALITY GUARANTEED FROM OUR FARM TO YOURS

Phone:022-26184 Email: sales@howardfarms.ie Denis 087-2525701 Patrick 087-2839142 Joe 086-8641348 Siobháin 087-2188294 Kilcanway, Mallow, Co. Cork

Suppliers of Quality Animal Feed, Seeds, Agro and Grassland Chemicals

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• Wool Exporter • Suppliers Of Veterinary Products • Wire & Fencing Posts • Fertilizers & Feeds

Lispole Tralee, Co. Kerry Tel:066-9151112 Email::kerrylamb@live.ie

Wishing Continued Success To Conor Hanafin Agri From

Registered Office 28 Denny Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Tel: 00353 66 71 21301 /00353 66 71 21202 Fax: 00353 66 71 22230 Email: info@efsco.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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customers have very demanding work schedules and that working with weather cycles can be difficult.

Therefore, when you call Conor, he will get to work immediately. He is focused on providing high-quality service and customer satisfaction to the farming community.

Best Wishes To Conor Hanafin Agri, From

| Quarry Products | Farm Roadway Material | Road Surfacing & | Civil Engineering | Building Sands | Building Stone | Decorative Chips | Readymix Concrete & Blocks Arkil Ltd. Graigue, Lispole, Co. Kerry T: 066 9157300 | E: arkilkerry@arkil.ie | www.arkil.ie

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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cavan tree services designed_Layout 1 29/04/2016 09:58 Page 1

Nigel and Cavan Tree Services are fully-certified in all aspects of arboriculture

From left: Nigel McDowell, Francis Morris, Felim Brady, Daniel Allen, Padraig Briody, Mark Fuller and Darragh Duffy of Cavan Tree Services

Professional, efficient tree surgery

O

ver the past 20 years, Cavan Tree Services has developed a stellar reputation across County Cavan and beyond for providing professional tree pruning and felling solutions, as well as stump removal, line clearance, emergency call-outs and a whole lot more besides. We caught up

Nigel McDowell established Cavan Tree Services in 1996.

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with hands-on proprietor Nigel McDowell to find out more about this exceptional operation.

Fully-certified, vastly-experienced and thoroughly-professional in all aspects of arboriculture, Cavan Tree Services has become the first port of call for dependable, high-quality pruning, felling, grinding and line clearance work throughout the Breffni County and further afield, counting the likes of Cavan County Council, Monaghan County Council, Meath County Council, Leitrim County Council and ESB Networks as long-standing customers.

Nigel McDowell set the business up two decades ago and his meticulous approach to the services provided – resulting in totally professional and safe solutions - has been instrumental in the phenomenal popularity of this outstanding service provider.

The vast array of services offered covers everything from dangerous tree cutting and pruning to stump removal, line clearance and emergency call-outs. As well as being a fullycertified and –compliant arboriculturist, the Cavan man is also fully-insured and is on call 24/7.

Reflecting on the genesis of the business, he notes: “I set the business up by myself in 1996. I was a dairy farmer and I started to cut some hedges. I then started to do some hedge-cutting work for the ESB. They needed qualified tree surgeons to climb trees and prune them and we started to hire men in but this wasn’t a reliable way to run a business. So I went back to college myself and got my Certificate of Arboriculture from Ballyhaise.”

With his RFS (Royal Forestry Society) certificate secured, Nigel has been a fully-qualified arborist / tree surgeon since the early 2000s. That has been key to the organic growth of the business, as has training and certification… “Training is a big, big thing in this line of work,” he confirms. “You need to have qualified men and you have to keep them fully up to speed on everything that’s happening within the industry. All of our men have all the relevant certificates that you could think of – IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

cavan tree services designed_Layout 1 29/04/2016 09:58 Page 2

, Padraig Briody, es

The company enjoys phenomenal popularity in Cavan and surrounding counties

Cavan Tree Services provides a vast array of outstanding solutions

climbing certificates, chainsaw certs, First Aid & Manual Handling, hoist certs, chipper certs etc.

“This industry is highly regulated and training is absolutely critical. We also do a lot of private civil work as well and you need things like digger certs and excavator certs for that, all of which we also have in place.”

As well as having the best personnel, it is also imperative to invest in the best equipment and to ensure that this is fully certified and tested. To complement Cavan Tree Services, Nigel also set up Winch Man Recovery Services to provide 24-hour heavy plant and machinery recovery. “We do recovery and winching and we also do some cable pulling and installations for the IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Nigel (centre) with Cavan Tree Services personnel (l/r) Mark Fuller, Padraig Briody, Francis Morris, Darragh Duffy, Daniel Allen and Felim Brady

All equipment and machinery is maintained in optimum condition

likes of the ESB, P&S Civil Works and Sammy Wilkin.”

Demand for the service provided is such that Nigel is currently on the lookout for additional staff. “At the moment, we have four staff plus myself. We have invested in training the lads up ourselves over the years and these guys would all be here up to ten years. Training is the mainstay of the business, so you have to either source people who are already qualified or else invest in training them.”

Generally, work is carried out within a 60-mile radius of Cavan town. Work for the County Councils varies from cleaning up hedges and trees outside houses, in estates and other sites to clearing rivers etc. To this end, Nigel owns and operates a barge and boat and is fully

qualified with the Civil Defence to work in Irish waterways.

Cavan

Tree

Services

has

been

providing line clearance service for the ESB since 1997.

No matter who the client is, no job is

CONTACT DETAILS Cavan Tree Services,

Drummury, Crossdoney, County Cavan.

Tel: 049 4337191 Mobile: 086 2768221 Email: nigelmcdowell1@eircom.net

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Cavan ATV & Power Tools Ltd.

Phone 049-4337595 Email: cavanatv@msn.com Farnadawley, Crossdoney, Co. Cavan Proprietor Fred Smyth

CLEAR CUT HEDGE CUTTING LTD Best Wishes to Cavan Tree Services, from

HEDGE & TIMBER CUTTING SERVICES DANGEROUS TREE & CHIPPING SERVICES FULLY INSURED TREE CLIMBING & HOIST SERVICES Working on behalf of the

Garballagh, Duleek, Co. Meath

086-2581199

Wishing Continued Success To Cavan Tree Services From

IDA Industrial Estate, Cavan Road Cootehill, Co Cavan.

T: 049 555 5500 E: info@polyfabplastics.ie www.polyfabplastics.ie

Chambers Agri-Contracts Ltd Best Wishes To Cavan Tree Services, From

Specialise In

PLOUGHING & SOWING ALL CEREAL CROPS | HARVESTING SILAGE WHOLECROP & MAIZE | COMBINE HARVESTING | PLANT HIRE HEDGE CUTTING & TREE SERVICES

Latton, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan

Tel: 087-2503773 | 087-2750825 | 087-1479128

Wishing Continued Success To Cavan Tree Services From

Safe Cert specialise in the certification of Plant Machinery and Lifting Equipment.

Contact Norbert Mc Mahon 086 3474289 Telephone: 049-437 4562 Blackbull, Crosskeys, Co. Cavan.

www.safecert.ie

CROSSDONEY Wishing Continued Success To Cavan Tree Services, From

TRACTOR SALES LTD

www.irishtractor.ie

Crossdoney, Ballinagh, Co. Cavan Tel:049-4337501 www.crossdoneytractors.com

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IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

cavan tree services designed_Layout 1 29/04/2016 09:58 Page 4

every considered too big or too small.

Whether it’s one tree that needs to be pruned or an entire forest to be taken down, the job is treated as an absolute priority. “We do pruning, felling, stump removal, surveys, emergency response, wood chipping, site clearance and line clearance under 10-20kv power lines,” the founder explains.

Fleetwise, Nigel operates a JCB Fastrac and lowloaders, a Valmet 8750 with 16” chipper, a Ford County with two large-capacity winches, a stump grinder, 24-metre hoist, diggers with grabs and rotators and cablepulling winches as well as three vans and two jeeps. All equipment is kept in top condition at all times through a combination of in-house maintenance and the use of local services.

The Cavan man – who is heavily involved with Crossdoney Fair, which raised invaluable funds for cystic fibrosis and autism with a tractorpulling competition last August - is helped in the day-to-day running of the business by his wife Audrey, who looks after accounts. He admits that the success of Cavan Tree Services has exceeded his expectations: “It’s going better than I had ever hoped, in that we have such a large customer base and are so well known for the quality of our work. Since I started 20 years ago, I haven’t had a single day where there was no work. I’m not saying I always have money – but there’s always work!

“We were under a lot of pressure this winter due to all the storm damage. There was plenty of work. Having said that, when we started out, there were an awful lot of big trees growing up to the lines, but the ESB has got that under control.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Work is carried out within a 60-mile radius of Cavan town

They are spending a lot of money on it and managing it very well.”

The same could be said of Cavan Tree Services. Since inception, this self-made business has forged a superb reputation on the back of providing keen, reliable and professional arboriculture services

to a host of satisfied clients. With continuous investment in the business guaranteed and a sworn commitment to providing an outstanding level of service, one gets the distinct impression that there are a few more chapters yet to be written in this impressive success story!

Only the best machinery makes its way into the Cavan Tree Services fleet

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dessie patterson designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:46 Page 1

Glenmore Farms is based on the north side of the Mourne mountains

G

Growing in the Mourne Mountains

lenmore Farms in Co Down is renowned for being one of the country’s top potato growing farms, so Irish Tractor & Agri felt it was time to hear more from co-owner Dessie Patterson.

Through the generations, the Pattersons have always had a glowing reputation for carrying out a top class service for their customers.

Nowadays, brothers Dessie and Raymond Patterson run Glenmore Farms, which is north of the Mourne Mountains in Newcastle, Co Down, and growing potatoes is very much their speciality up there.

Dessie, a former Ulster Unionist Councillor and long-time member of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, spoke to us about the different services that Glenmore Farm provides, as well delving into his own personal background both in and outside of farming.

“Glenmore Farms is the name of the farm here and we own 300 acres here

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and rent out a further 200 acres on top of that,” explained Dessie.

“We grow 180 acres of potatoes and 100 of grain. We’ve a 100 head of cattle and run 350 cross bred ewes.

He continued: “We’re based on the northern side of the Mourne mountains and the family would be Newcastle born and bred. I’ve been involved in farming all my life and I’ve been in the Ulster Farmers’ Union a long time and held various different positions throughout my time with them.

“I’m still heavily involved to this day and was elected vice-chairman of The Potato Committee at the last AGM.” Founded in 1918, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is the largest democratic voluntary organisation representing farmers and growers in Northern Ireland.

The central objective of the UFU has always been to promote their interests both at home and abroad through professional lobbying. Today, the UFU has over 11,500 members.

Indeed Dessie’s schedule has been busy over the past decade or so, between his duties as a farmer, a member of the UFU and an Ulster Unionist Councillor.

An UUP Councillor for the Newcastle area for over a decade, Dessie has undoubtedly been a focal part of the local community and it’s something that the people close by won’t forget.

“I had served as an Ulster Unionist Councillor for 10 years, so I’d have first started with them in 2005 and stepped down in May of last year,” he said.

“I’m also chairman of the Mourne Heritage Trust and was a founding

CONTACT DETAILS Glenmore Farms Newcastle Co. Down

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

dessie patterson designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:46 Page 2

member of it when it was first established 20 years ago.”

The Mourne Heritage Trust is an independent limited company and a registered charity established to meet an identified need for locally based, strategic management of the Mourne AONB. The model of a trust-based partnership was agreed in 1997 by Environment and Heritage Service (now Northern Ireland Environment Agency) and Northern Ireland Tourist Board, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the three local councils of Banbridge, Down and Newry and Mourne respectively.

The Trust’s mission statement is: “To sustain and enhance the environment, rural regeneration, cultural heritage and visitor opportunities of the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and contribute to the well-being of Mourne's communities.”

The members of the Trust are continuing to endeavour and get the best results for the betterment of the Mourne community, and with Dessie Patterson at the helm that trend certainly looks set to last.

Indeed endeavouring has been a part of Dessie’s make up since the days back when he used to work with his father on the family farm during his youth.

Along with his brother Raymond, they earned their stripes as potato and grain growers under their father’s guidance and they find themselves successfully navigating the same fields more than 45 years on.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Some of the New Holland fleet at Glenmore Farms

“My father always farmed,” explained Dessie. “After I finished college in 1972, my brother and I both started working on the farm and we have been at it ever since.

“It is difficult at the moment, but we’ve to keep going and get the potatoes in.

No matter how tough business might be, you’re always kept busy at something and I suppose you can’t really complain about that.”

Today, the Pattersons plant and grow their potatoes for one particular client, moving away from the days when they used to export their potatoes to different outlets throughout Europe.

Dessie, for one, is happy to work with Wilson’s and Wilson’s only when it comes to selling their products.

“We’ve been growing potatoes for Wilson’s in Portadown for the last 20 years and we used to grow for export all across Europe,” he said.

“Exporting across the continent proved more and more difficult as time went on, so we decided to stop it altogether. We got the opportunity to grow for Wilson’s 20 years ago and we seem to do a reasonably good job for them – I think that’s why they choose us first.”

At present, the Dessie and Raymond, along with their nephews James and Robert, who have recently come on board, are preparing their land for potato planting.

That means plenty of ploughing and hard work ahead of the upcoming summer, as Dessie illustrated.

“We are very busy right now with ploughing and getting the land ready to field potatoes,” he said.

“There are four of us on the farm at the minute and we bring in the machinery to ensure that the land is ready. We’ve six New Holland tractors here and a couple of harvesters.

Taking a well-earned lunch break in the fine canteen facilities

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dessie patterson designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:46 Page 3

“With regards to maintenance, we do most of it ourselves which is obviously a cost saver.”

He continued: “We don’t put any potatoes in the ground without getting the growers input, so Wilson’s are an outfit that we would sit down with before the process begins.

“For me, it has always come down to attention to detail and as we speak we’re getting the seeds set now. There’s a lot of work to go with regards to ploughing before we plant any potatoes.”

Even another wet summer wouldn’t derail Glenmore Farms from getting the work done. Unlike many other farmers across the country, it would actually be welcomed by Dessie and co.

“A damp summer doesn’t do a bit of harm and it’s actually a very good thing for us, so we can’t complain about the past few summers at all.”

FISHER & FISHER

Wishing Continued Success To Glenmore Farms From

1 Newry Street, RATHFRILAND, BT34 5PY T: 028-406 30217 F: 028-406 31015 51a Main Street, NEWCASTLE, BT33 OAD T:028-437 23059 F:028-43723511 Email: mark.kinkaid@fisherandfisher.co.uk Offices also in Belfast, Newry, Kilkeel, and Donaghadee One stop service for

House Sales & Purchases | Accidents, Injuries & Medical Negligence Wills & Probate | Civil Litigation & Matrimonial Matters Commercial Work & Business Advice | Employment Disputes unfair Dismissal and Discrimination | Low Cost Debt Recovery Criminal | Legal Aid - Free Initial Consultation

The Pattersons have been farming for generations

Keeping it family, Dessie’s daughter Ruth is also kept busy by managing the Meelmore Lodge, a Tourism Complex owned by the Pattersons.

Situated a stone’s throw away from the stunning Mourne mountain range, Dessie maintains that you can't go wrong with a holiday at Meelmore Lodge, where we have accommodation to facilitate 30 people.

“We have recently opened our New Hare’s Gap Café And Bistro, which is now Open Daily and we pride ourselves in Home -Made Produce and can accommodate any visitor to the Mournes.”

“It just opened there last month and we see tourism as having huge potential in the Mourne Mountains,” he said.

“The weekends are busy and even during the week we would have visitors coming. Since we’ve re-opened the signs are positive and that’s all you can ask for at this stage.”

Hear, hear.

Two of the fleet in full operation

Joseph Walls Ltd Best Wishes & Continued Success To

Glenmore Farms

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The Vet Clinic

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Glenmore Farms Rathfriland, Co. Down Telephone: 028-40630385

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

McCloskey Bros designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:20 Page 1

T

Brothers in farms

rading for the past 13 years, McCloskey Bros is a leading agricultural contracting firm based in Loughgiel, Co. Antrim.

Specialising in umbilical slurry spreading, fertiliser spreading, slurry spreading, sowing, baling, drawing / stacking round bales, hedge cutting and dump trailer work, it offers an extensive farming contracting service to a growing customer-base.

McCloskey Bros is run by brothers Karl and Brian McCloskey who learned everything they know and inherited their passion for farm machinery from their late father John, who was in the business before them. Committed to providing a top-class service and complete customer satisfaction, the brothers have a wide range of machinery to carry out your work quickly and efficiently, providing you with value-for-money and an alternative to IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

investing in your own expensive equipment.

The success of McCloskey Bros is down to the knowledge, skill and expertise of its staff, as well as the quality of its equipment. The family-run concern delivers the value and quality farmers expect from their agricultural contracting partner.

Karl and Brian run a fleet of 10 tractors – seven New Holland, two Deutz Fahr and one Case International. The New Holland models are TS115 (x2), TN155 power command, TM140 range command, TM130 range command, TM125 range command and TL100A. The fleet is completed by two Deutz Fahr 150 Agrotrons and a Case International 674, which is used mostly around the farmyard.

Other plant / equipment operated by the McCloskeys include Doda (SlurryKat) and Agquip umbilical systems, a highflow Red Rock slurry pump, a pair of 3,000-

gallon Agrimac slurry tankers with steering axles, two 2,000-gallon Abbey slurry tankers, two Lely round balers, two Vicon mowers, one front-mounted Pottinger mower, a Tanco 1400 bale wrapper, a Fleming bale trailer, two ninetonne McCauley silage trailers, a JF 1050 harvester, a 20-foot Pottinger silage rake and a McConnel PA5155 headcutter with multi-cut head. The Co. Antrim-based

CONTACT DETAILS McCloskey Bros Agricultural Contractors 73 Corkey Road, Loughgiel, Co. Antrim BT449JJ.

Telephone: +44 7788680235

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McCloskey Bros designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:20 Page 2

The tractor fleet is dominated by New Holland

agri-contractor is also due to take delivery of two new 12-tonne Fleming silage trailers ahead of the upcoming silage season.

All machines are upgraded on a regular basis to avoid breakdowns and downtime. Servicing and maintenance is carried out in-house, while machines in need of repair are sent to nearby farm dealerships. The majority of the plant was purchased from Agquip Agricultural Engineering Ltd in Ballymoney and SlurryKat in Waringstown, Co. Armagh.

Agquip was formed in 2010 by James O’Kane to provide design and build services to the agricultural sector in Ireland, the UK and Europe. The company has designed an innovative slurry application system which dispenses farmyard slurry directly onto grassland without leaving a residue on surrounding leaves or plants. The slurry machine offers farmers a more affordable and efficient alternative to traditional slurry spreading and has been endorsed by the McCloskeys.

SlurryKat is another Northern Ireland-based company which manufactures the most technologically advanced

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McCloskey Bros specialise in slurry spreading

Two of the New Hollands with Lely round balers in tow

The baling season is just around the corner

range of slurry equipment available on the market today.

It is a leading manufacturer of slurry tankers, umbilical systems and farm trailers which are exported to 18 countries worldwide. SlurryKat prides itself in being able to produce exceptional slurry handling equipment and accessories that are engineered with design and quality at the forefront of its mind.

Karl says the umbilical application system has many advantages over traditional tankerbased application methods, the main ones being it empties slurry tanks and lagoons much faster, reduces / eliminates soil compaction and reduces fuel consumption as the contractor is not constantly travelling from the yard to the field.

“Umbilical slurry spreading is the way forward, especially in this country where we get so much rain.

It’s easier on the ground and is a much quicker way to put out slurry. We have 2,500 metres of umbilical pipes in total, so no job is too big or too small,” he IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

McCloskey Bros designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:21 Page 3

The brothers are busy all year round with their agricultural contracting business. In the early part of the year, the focus is on slurry and fertiliser spreading. The silage and baling season gets underway in May Continued success to and runs until McCloskey Bros, From September. This is a particularly hectic time for the Another load of wrapped bales on their way back to the farmyard McCloskeys who will work around the clock to keep their clients happy. It’s followed in the autumn by hedge cutting and more slurry spreading.

“There is never a dull moment here.

When we’re not at the contracting, Agricultural Asset Finance customers for their support over the last Hire Purchase Or Lease we’re farming. We rent about 80 Repayments can be structured to suit cashflow 13 years. We look forward to receiving acres which we stock with 180 Contact: the same great support for many years sheep and 60 cattle,” Karl Raymond McIntyre: 07789 686559 to come.” continues.

Chris McHenry: 07885 316196 For all your agriculture contracting The affable agri contractor says in Office: needs in the Glens of Antrim, be sure to conclusion: “We would like to take Jillian McIntyre: 028 276 67395 give McCloskey Bros a call. this opportunity to thank all of our

explains.

McCloskey Bros has a large and loyal client-base in an area encompassing Loughgiel, Armoy, Carey, Ballymoney, Dunloy and Ballycastle. Most of their customers are dairy, beef and sheep farmers.al slurry handlign ay. It is a leading manufacturer of slurry tankers,

GLENDALE FINANCE

Wishing Continued Success To McCloskey Bros

Gamble Bros Agri Contractors

22 Drumlee Road, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim BT53 7LE

T: 028-2766-2379 M: 078-3133-9749 Email: info@gamblebros.co.uk

Best Wishes & Continued Success To McCloskey Bros

7 Friary Road, Armoy, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim BT53 8XZ

Contact Gerald 075 6433 0745 Contact Patrick 074 6795 0799 Email: info@blackandco.org IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

McGuckian Milling Co. Best Wishes & Continued Success To McCloskey Bros, from

29 Drunbare Road, Cloughmills, Ballymena, Antrim BT44 9LA Tel:028-27638677 E:office@mcguckianmilling.co.uk

McAlonan Oils Suppliers of AGRICULTURAL FUELS, ROAD FUELS & DOMESTIC HEATING OIL 3 Mill Street,Ballycastle, BT54 6ES Tel:028-20762233 Mobile: 07736373000

Pleased to be associated with McCloskey Bros and wish continued success to them 69

kilkenny mart designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:38 Page 1

Three thousand shareholders own the mart

T

î “e Agri Hub

he livestock mart has been synonymous with farming for many, many generations and not only is it a place to buy and sell animals, but it is the focal point of the farming community where farmers meet to discuss the trials and tribulations of the industry they are involved in.

Facilities at a mart have certainly improved down through the years and a more modern setting now greets the people who attend. It is now far more than just a place to trade animals, marts have become a hub for farmers to carry out a number of activities.

Take the Kilkenny Mart for example, eight years ago, a new mart was opened in Kilkenny city located at Cillin Hill. The Kilkenny Mart now owns and operates the Cillin Hill centre, which comprises of the mart auction centre, the Hub Event Centre, conference and meeting rooms, office and retail premises, property

70

agency, restaurant and bar as well as free parking. It really has become a one-stop shop for the farming community.

The modern striking architectural building, contains a total of 13 office Units and eight retail units and is part of a wider complex which includes "The Hub" event centre, "Kilkenny Mart" and the business and retail park.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Lynch spoke to the Irish Tractor & Agri about the facilities and the hopes for the future.

The Kilkenny Mart has twice weekly auctions held on Mondays and Thursdays. Calves and sheep are bought and sold on Mondays, while Thursday is a day for general cattle, suckler and breeding heifers.

From January to May, Mondays are special dairy, while from July to October the same day is pedigree ram day and then through August to December weanling sales are held on a Tuesday.

This makes for a very busy schedule

and Michael revealed that it takes a good few employees to help run the sales smoothly. “We would have in the region of 30 people here when the sales are on. We operate three rings and we would have farmers coming from between 12 to 15 counties that surround us. There is a capacity for 2000 cattle here. Our cattle sales would be between 900 and 1200 a

CONTACT DETAILS Kilkenny Co-Operative Livestock Market Ltd., Cillin Hill, Dublin Road, Kilkenny.

Tel: 056 7721407 Fax: 056 7721509 IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

kilkenny mart designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:39 Page 2

Farmers come from all over to the sales

Cattle are ushered in for a sale

week, while sheep sales are between 800 and 1000,” said Michael.

Michael revealed that in the eight years that they have been there, the facility has grown considerably.

The Hub is the ideal venue for exhibitions, conferences, comedy gigs, product launches, car/machinery shows, gala dinners, concerts and much more.

“We moved from the old mart which was running since 1956 to here in 2007.

It is a huge premises that has been developed over the years. It is an agrihub in that it is far more than just a mart.

“The IFA have an office here, there’s an accountants, insurance brokers, FBD have an office here, we stage concerts and other activities in the Hub event centre. This year alone, we have had the likes of illusionist Keith Barry here as well as international artist Don McClean.

Every year, we put in an ice rink into the centre at Christmas, while there are other exhibits as well.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

looking at doing this is by increasing our technology and trying online buying. We know that time is of the essence for farmers and we are actively pursuing the prospect on online sales. It will take a bit of time to get it up and running, but it is something that we are serious about.”

Michael revealed that they are happy with the progress that they have made, but he added that they are not about to rest on their laurels.

“It has been a challenging role, but one that has been very interesting. We have made great progress in the last few years and we want to continue that.

We’re a progressive mart that provides a good service and it is up to us to improve on that.

“We’re pretty well placed going forward. There is still plenty of work to be done and we are delighted with the feedback we have received and we are looking forward to the future.”

“There are two restaurants on-site as well as a bar. It really is a business park catering for the farming industry. There are retail shops here as well as a butcher.”

The Co-Op mart is owned by 3,000 shareholders all of who are farmers.

These shareholders elect a board of directors which Best wishes to comprises of 19 Michael, Anne-Marie, people and Michael Margo, Ida, Sarah who has been and all the team at working at the mart from since 2005 believes that they are one of the most progressive marts in the country.

“We are not afraid to move with the times. Tel: 056 - 776 7692 Our aim for the E-mail: print@conmorepress.com immediate future is to increase throughput and one way we are

Established 1969

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Cookstown designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:25 Page 1

N

Ireland’s premier pork processor

ow part of the Karro group, Cookstown is the largest single pig processing plant in the UK and Ireland, with 1.2 million pigs processed annually for domestic and international markets throughout Europe, Asia, the USA and Africa. Cookstown is one of largest employers in Mid-Ulster and is a major supporter of Northern Irish (and Republic of Ireland) agriculture.

Karro Cookstown is a complete pork processing operation and currently has the largest pork slaughter throughput of any single facility in the UK or Ireland.

Operating to the highest standards, the company holds British Retail Consortium (BRC), Bord Bia and BQAP accreditation as well as a United States Department of Agriculture licence.

In addition to slaughter facilities, the site hosts fully developed facilities for boning, bacon curing and slicing, sausage manufacture and pre-packed fresh pork production. Karro Cookstown’s customer base includes Tesco, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury and Dunnes as well as local multiples within Northern Ireland. The company also sells products under the Cookstown brand label in the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland markets.

Synonymous with legendary sausages and bacon, gammon joints and sliced ham, Cookstown was established in 1937 and employ 880 people. Supporting the local agricultural community across the island, all meat is sourced from Irish farmers from

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Cookstown is the largest single pig processing plant in the UK and Ireland

both sides of the border, with whom they work closely and in many cases have done so for generations.

High quality is at the heart of everything Cookstown do. To this end, they work closely with The Ulster Pork & Bacon Forum and Bord Bia to ensure that they highest standards continue to be met.

The Cookstown brand of sizzling sausages was famously marketed by football icon George Best in the 1970s, a marketing campaign which put the product very much on the international map.

Since 2013, Cookstown has been part of the Karro Food Group, supplies fresh pork, bacon and ham to retail, foodservice and manufacturing customers across Ireland

CONTACT DETAILS

Cookstown Northern Ireland 70 Molesworth Road, Cookstown, County Tyrone BT80 8PJ. Cookstown Ireland

Level 2, The Osprey Business Campus, Devoy Quarter, Naas, County Kildare.

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Cookstown designed_Layout 1 03/05/2016 10:25 Page 2

and the UK. Karro operates through integrated farming, slaughter and processing operations from eight sites in the UK and Ireland, processing circa 45,000 pigs each week for the major supermarket and wholesale markets Of the eight sites run by Karro, Cookstown is the main slaughter site and neither their brand nor identity have been affected by the change in ownership.

Karro embarked on a £10m capital investment programme last year, which saw £8m spent on its Cookstown facility, including a £6.5m investment in new chilling and processing technology. Thee investment has been made largely to help expand the brand further into the Republic of Ireland market.

They breed their own pigs as well as sourcing their award-winning meat from local farmers, many of whom have worked alongside them for three generations.

Karro process approximately 45,000 pigs each week for delivery to the UK’s major supermarkets and wholesale food suppliers’ markets, all with full supply chain visibility. Their pork is eaten by millions of consumers every year, and is stocked across the country by leading retailers.

Karro Food Group’s headquarters are located in Malton, North Yorkshire, with around 3,000 people employed across their national food production locations.

Karro have an accreditation in export

innovate and lead the way. Earlier this markets globally and this is a key focus for their business strategy. Their year, as part of their drive to deliver international business is managed sweeping improvements across the board, centrally through head office by a they launched Bacon Delights, a lean dedicated export team. As they operate ready-to-eat bacon product which can be through integrated farming, slaughter and microwaved in two minutes. Healthy and processing operations they have full supply chain visibility, which gives customers full convenient; a shape of things to come, confidence that products are produced to perhaps. higher animal welfare standards Best Wishes To Cookstown/Karro Food and also highlights the fact that Karro Cookstown have the highest food safety standards in Europe.

Cookstown has been around for eight decades and continues to

Best Wishes To Cookstown/ Karro Food From

Bulk & Livestock Transport 22 Annagh Road, Clogher, Co. Tyrone BT76 OUX

Tel: 048-855 48657 Tel: 048-855 48867 E:info@mkeystransport.com

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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A growing concern A

s well as being one of Northern Ireland's leading sheep farmers, Crosby Cleland is a successful fencing and gate contractor and is halfway through his term as Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) beef and lamb chairman.

Crosby has been providing a professional fencing service for the past 40 years

Crosby Cleland on his sheep farm

Farm manager Alan Irwin operating a telescopic handler

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Crosby's Brookmount Farm in Saintfield, Co. Down, which has been in his family for at least four generations, consists of 166 acres on which he keeps approximately 750 Lleyn and Highlander (Maternal) ewes crossed to Primera, and New Zealand Suftex (Terminal) sires. The farm produces over 1,200 lambs each year which are supplied to Linden Foods through the Strangford Down Lamb Group for which Crosby is the coordinator. There are about 150 farmers in the Group who supply 18,000 lambs to Linden Foods each year.

To ensure the very best returns, Crosby monitors, benchmarks and analyses every aspect of his sheep business, from the cost of his silage to the number of lambing 'assists' per breed. The management and selection of the best stock to keep for breeding is achieved with the aid of EID using the Shearwell and Frameworks programme. This allows Crosby to choose and keep the best progeny from each of his main 3 breeds Lleyn, Primera and Highlander to further improve his breeding stock. He would have home sales of these recorded Sheep Ireland rams.

His key objectives are to increase growth and numbers of lambs weaned achieving greater output,

i.e. kilos produced per hectare, and to have an easier care system which increases the number of ewes per labour unit. Crosby's ram selection criteria are focused on maternal ability, growth rate and ease of lambing, R3 is what the retailers want. He also places a strong emphasis on the management of his grassland. The flock is rotationally grazed and he has roadways throughout the farm which allow one man and quad bike to easily move the stock. “Sheep production is really about chasing kilos per hectare and I believe that keeping meticulous records is the only way to achieve that. Regular conversations with your vet and careful analysis of your figures allow you to make informed decisions about how to move the farm forward,� he says.

Two years ago, Crosby received the M&S Livestock Award at the Balmoral Show for commitment to renewable energy and long-term sustainability on his farm He submitted a comprehensive entry outlining his carefully planned, simple infrastructure on Brookmount Farm that allows the movement of his

CONTACT DETAILS Crosby Cleland

Brookmount Farm, 21 Greens Road, Saintfield, Co. Down BT24 7EE

Telephone: +44 (0)28 97510289 Mobile: +44 (0)78 60610987 Email: ccleland@btconnect.com Web: www.crosbyclelandfencing.com IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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750 ewes and their lambs, as well as 230 replacement stock. This means that even at lambing time, most of the work can be shared between him and just one other member of staff. Also a few years before that, he was awarded the UK Sheep Farmer of the Year.

Lambing time has been made considerably easier by the decision to change the flock from Continental Cross, Greyface and Mule ewes to predominantly Lleyn. As Lleyn ewes don't need assistance when giving birth and the lambs are very quickly up on their feet suckling, this has reduced the need for additional labour during a traditionally busy period and has freed up more time for the Saintfield farmer to concentrate on his fencing business and office and boardroom commitments.

With the environment being extremely important to him, Crosby has been experimenting with agro-forestry – planting trees on less productive land that can still be grazed by sheep. He works closely with those in his local producer group and regularly plays host to Department of Agriculture Farm Focus visits.

In recent years, Crosby has finished his ram lambs indoors and housed his ewes from December to March, with the result that there is a terrific sward come the springtime. Lambing takes place at the end of March and beginning of April, generally 18 days has 650 ewes lambed thanks to the use of teaser rams for 15 days before the ram is introduced. Single sire mating has been used for the last 12 years with each recorded ram covering between 80 to 100 ewes. This allows Crosby to spend more money on a good ram giving him, in particular, better live weight gains.

“The lambs have been good and strong. We don’t complain about multiple births, between adopter pens and wet

fostering plus good triplets going to the field, we have raised the kilos per hectare, hence a better profit margin.

We've been sheep farming only since 2000. Before that, we were also into suckler cows and beef, but we've been able to cut our costs by concentrating on one enterprise,” he explains.

Crosby is heavily involved within the sheep industry in Northern Ireland. He is a founder member of the Northern Ireland branch of NSA and acts as a trainer in various rural skills at Greenmount College. In addition, he operates a loading point in Saintfield for the Strangford Down Lamb Group, is the Co. Down representative for the British Wool Board and, of course, is beef and lamb chair of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU), which represents about 20,000 Northern Irish farmers. A long-time member of the UFU, Crosby is just starting his second year term as beef and lamb chairman.

One of the big concerns of sheep producers in Northern Ireland at the moment is the large amount of New Zealand lamb on shop shelves. Crosby is urging consumers to show their support by buying Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lamb.

The collapse in value of the euro has had a devastating impact on meat exports, leading to a prolonged period of unsustainable prices for local sheep producers, he says.

“With so much pressure on our export trade, this makes the home market all the more important, so we need strong support from both the Northern Ireland retailers and shoppers. What hasn't helped is the fact that some retailers have kept high levels of New Zealand lamb on their shelves during our lamb season. This has created additional price pressure for local farmers who endured one of their toughest ever years in 2015.

Best Wishes To Brookmount Farm, From

Crosby monitors and analyses every aspects of his sheep business

“We need lamb prices to increase because we simply can't sustain prices at their current level,” he warns.

For the past 40 years, the busy Co. Down man has been providing a professional fencing service to farmers throughout the province. Specialising in stock fencing and wooden fencing and gates, Crosby Cleland Fencing & Gates is an agent for AJ Charlton & Sons wooden gates and Gallagher Electric Fencing products. A hedging and trees supply and planting service up to CMS (Countryside Management) standard is also available.

“The farm and the agri-fencing business go hand-in-hand. Between everything, it's all go, but I wouldn't have it any other way,” he concludes.

Call Us On P: +44 28 4377 8276

EXPERIENCED TIMBER MERCHANTS

Best Wishes To Brookmount Farm

103 Culcavey Road, Newport, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6HH

t (028) 9268 2617 f (028) 9268 9522 e sales@northernexcavators.com

www.northernexcavators.com

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

IMPORTERS OF RUSSIAN FENCING POSTS AND WOOD PELLETS. MANUFACTURER OF MADE TO ORDER WOODEN GATES.

Castlewellan,County Down P: +44 28 4377 8276 E: info@wkirkwoodandsons.co.uk www.wkirkwoodandsons.co.uk 75

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Davoren Hire offers a wide range of plant for hire

D

Fifty years of Davoren Plant

avoren Plant, incorporating Davoren Plant Hire and Davoren Plant Services, is a highly-regarded family-run operation based outside Eyrecourt in Co. Galway. With its 50th birthday just around the corner, we caught up with Niall Davoren to discuss the history and success of the business.

Davoren Plant has come a long way since Michael Davoren established the company in the 1960s. Michael remains actively involved in the business along with his son Niall. Daughter Eimear and daughter-in-law Brenda also assist with the administration and IT duties. A plant fitter by trade, Niall is leading the business' expansion, particularly in the area of new and used plant machinery and parts sales in Ireland and abroad.

“We've been in the plant hire business since the 1960s, but only branched into

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sales, services and parts about 10 years ago. We are now supplying parts for Hitachi and many other excavators. We also service and repair machines in our yard,” Niall explains.

There are two sides to the business – Davoren Plant Hire and Davoren Plant Services.”

Davoren Plant Hire offers a wide range of plant for hire on a long or short-term basis with experienced operators to a broad base of customers, from local authorities and semi-state bodies to all areas of the private sector. The Davoren's are always available to price any job or contract from start to finish, no matter how big or small. All of their machinery is fully serviced and maintained in their workshops. In addition, they service and maintain machinery for outside parties such as local farmers and plant owners.

Davoren Plant Hire's large fleet of tractors, excavators, dump trailers, low

loaders and other plant can carry out any job, including land drainage, earth moving, rock breaking, forestry mounding, road-making, site clearance, duct / pipe laying, sewage, percolation and storm drain works, flood alleviation, ripping, fencing and hedge-cutting. There are new flail hedge-cutters on four-wheel drive tractors and circular saws mounted

CONTACT DETAILS

Davoren Plant

Moofield Cross, Eyrecourt, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

Telephone: 087 2674061 (Niall) / 087 2745174 (Michael) Email: info@davorenplant.ie Web: www.davorenplant.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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Davoren's large fleet of excavators can carry out any job

on track diggers available to ensure there is little or no damage caused to the soil even in the wettest of conditions.

“We have usually have nine or 10 Hitachi diggers from mini-diggers up to 20-tonne on hand for hire. We have every attachment for a digger you can think of,” Niall says.

“There is a strong demand for our services in the midlands and west. We were extremely busy when flooding occurred in the Shannon region last

winter. We maintained the flood banks from Portumna to Meelick in Co. Galway for ESB Civils and also carried out repairs to sites for Galway County Council in the Ballinasloe area after the flooding. So it was a busier winter for us than usual.”

It goes without saying that Davoren Plant Hire offers the most professional, reliable and cost-effective plant hire service in its area.

Davoren Plant Services is a one-stop

shop for new and used machinery sales, excavator attachments and spare parts.

It stocks the full range of Hitachi attachments and parts, including hydraulic grabs, manual and hydraulic thumb grabs, grapples, hydraulic quick hitches, springlock quick hitches, manual quick hitches, digging buckets, grading buckets, rakes, riddle buckets, ditching buckets, tile drain / shoring buckets, pins, hydraulic tilt buckets, pallet forks, ripper toes, saws and blades.

A comprehensive range of excavator grabs are available IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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EAST GALWAY STONE

Best Wishes To Davoren Plant Hire From

We supply CRUSHED ROCK, SAND & TOPSOIL

Deerpark, Ballycrissane, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

Tel: 0909-676021 Contact Seamus 087-6324433 Email: eastgalwaystone@hotmail.com

Wishing Continued Success To Davoren Plant Hire, From

PALLET DISTRIBUTION Mainline Express offers an excellent express pallet delivery service to and from Ireland, UK & Europe.

Building 2, Deerpark Ind Est, Oranmore,Co. Galway.

E: info@mainlineexpress.ie P+353 91 788 048 www.mainlineexpress.ie

Best Wishes To Davoren Plant Hire, From CERTIFIED PREMIUM QUALITY LIME.

Masonbrook, Loughrea, Co. Galway Tel:091-842455 or 086-2506702

Also suppliers of Quarry Products, Readymix, Sand, Decorative & Land Drainage Chips.

Granular Fill S.R.21:2014 Annex E

Best Wishes To Davoren Plant Hire

• Cab Glass, Oils & Greases • Chains, Rollers, Sprockets, Idlers & Rubber Tracks • Hydraulic Pumps & Motors Repaired • All Engine Parts, Starters & Alternators • PVC Units, Solenoids & Sensors, Etc

WE STOCK SPARE PARTS FOR HITACHI, FIAT HITACHI, CAT, JOHN DEERE, NEW HOLLAND, MASSEY FERGUSON & MORE IDA Business Park, Ballinalee Rd., Longford

DONOVAN FORESTRY SERVICES Tel:043-33 62500 Fax:043-33 62023 Out of Hours 087-050 7688 Email: parts.msplantspares@gmail.com www.msplantspares.ie

Best Wishes To Davoren Plant Hire, From

Tel:091-637964 Contact Paddy 087-2852066 Newtownlynch, Kinvara, Co. Galway

Dermot Brehony Agri Best Wishes & Continued Success To Davoren Plant Hire

tel:090-9627322 mobile: 086-2612358 raheen, Killimor, Ballinasloe, Co. galway email: brehonypeat@eircom.net

George M.Coyle & Co. Best Wishes & Continued Success To Davoren Plant Hire, From

Chartered Accountants & Tax Advisors

Society St., Ballinasloe, Co. Galway Tel:090-964 2995 Email:info@gmcoyleandco.ie | www.gmcoyleandco.ie

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www.irishtractor.ie IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

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“We have a full range of excavator grabs available with all sizes catered for. We are now stocking hydraulic rotator grabs which are available for excavators from three to 40 tonnes.

We cover all parts and attachments,” Niall continues.

“We also specialise in plant sales, everything from diggers to trailers.

Our name is wellestablished throughout the 32 counties and in the UK as well. For smaller parts, we can guarantee delivery within 24 hours to anywhere in Ireland thanks to our partnership with Fastway Couriers and Mainline Express in Galway city. We sell only the best machinery, attachments and parts.”

With 50 years' experience, Davoren Plant Hire has a proud tradition in plant hire and sales. Why not give Niall or Michael a call with any queries you may have and they will be happy to help.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their support and loyalty. We are growing our services on an ongoing basis and look forward to continuing to cater for their needs for many more years to come.”

Here's to the next half century of Davoren Plant!

IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI

Every attachment for a digger you can think of is stocked

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By Email Enclose your postal address and credit card details (Card type, number and expiry date) to contact@lynngroupmedia.com A receipt will be enclosed with your first magazine.

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35_Layout 1 14/11/2014 11:21 Page 1

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