Cllr proposes campaign to boost Leitrim agriculture
A new campaign to add value to local produce in Co. Leitrim has been proposed by Fianna Fáil councillor for Manorhamilton, Justin Warnock.
Having proposed 'Origin Leitrim' at a council meeting, Cllr. Warnock told Agriland that the next step is to develop a strategy to bring the campaign forward.
"We have Taste Leitrim about our restaurants, and where you should go to if you want a meal, but when people taste Leitrim, they taste food that was produced in Leitrim," Warnock said.
I’d like to see that our beef, lamb, pork, and poultry products that were produced in Leitrim can be sampled in Leitrim. It’s to add value to the local farmer here.
"There’s very high nature value land in Leitrim, it’s an extensive type of farming, it’s not mass produced like other parts of the country. That produces better food," he added.
The councillor said that farmers around the county are optimistic about the campaign.
"I’ve spoken to both conventional and organic farmers. There are farmers markets, and there are farmers in Leitrim selling beef boxes, and lamb boxes, so it’s already started on a small scale," he said.
I would like to see it promoted through our restaurants and our shops and throughout the county.
“This is going to add value to farmers stock. Origin Leitrim in times to come will have an added advantage. Everything we’re doing, EU policy, and government policy is to support the local producer. We can be a leader on this.”
According to Warnock, the average size of a farm in the county is 25ha, and there are roughly 3,300 farmers, excluding forestry. He believes that the campaign could be a boost to small farmers in the county.
"Small rural communities are suffering from depopulation. If we can add value to what we can produce in our townlands in Leitrim, surely there’d be a benefit to the next generation," he said.
Warnock said that depopulation is a massive problem in the county.
"70% of people in Leitrim live in rural areas, we have to try and keep them areas alive. Otherwise, we will have to close the last of our schools, our football teams are all being amalgamated as it is, we have to plan," he said.
"Once the forestry companies came in and the land was planted, the people moved out. That can be seen all across the county, the small schools are being closed, the shops are gone.
"The forestry has moved in, once forestry moves in there is no future for a local community. We have enough forestry now anyway," he added.
Councillor Warnock hopes that the campaign will encourage young farmers to continue farming in the county.
"In all the agricultural colleges and universities, there are an awful lot of young people from Leitrim. At the moment, there are an awful lot of people doing the Green Cert online, they may come back and farm in Leitrim," he said.
"We’re unfortunate that we have small farms, but we have a lot of people interested in coming back, and working on the family farm. We have to promote that, because we’re Ireland’s most rural county," he added.
