Kerry had second-highest forest-planting record in 2024
A total of 1,573 hectares of new forest was planted in the country last year, with the 128 hectares that were established in Kerry being the second-highest levels of new forest establishment, the highest planting figure being conducted in Cork.
The figures were released in the Department of Agriculture’s Annual Forest Statistics Report issued last week and show that the total expenditure on forest activity for last year was €73.2 millon, comprising of maintenance, forest road infrastructure, annual premia payments and other supports.
“This annual publication builds a detailed picture of the forest sector over the past year. I wish to congratulate my department on producing this essential publication to a high quality again this year,” the Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, said at the release of the figures.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
‘Cynical misrepresentation’ of food description
The stated intention of the EU Commission to prohibit the use of dairy or meat terminology for the purposes of marketing vegetarian or synthetic foods is a measure that ought to be welcomed, the President of the ICMSA, Denis Drennan, has confirmed.
This device would prohibit the use of terms such as ‘sausage’, ‘burger’ or ‘schnitzel’ in regard to vegetarian or vegan food products, as these are clearly misleading titles for the very nature of these foods. Using these descriptions can be a cynical means of camouflaging these products for marketing purposes.
People do have the right to eat whatever they want, but “it is a matter of considerable irritation to farmers to see the very people and corporations who want to replace our naturally-produced meat and dairy with their non-meat and non-dairy products very deliberately using the terms that they know are generally understood to refer to traditional dairy and meat products”, he said.
Read the full story in Kerry’s Eye Digital Edition.
