There are a total of 8,604 farmers in Longford and Roscommon. The two counties are lumped together for Teagasc statics. The State body that oversees agriculture research and development keeps track of farming activity, analyzing the data for the primary sectors.
Those sectors are Cattle, Sheep, Mixed Grazing, Dairy, Mixed Field Crops, and right at the very bottom, "Other." "There are very few horticultural enterprises in the Roscommon Longford Region. There are just one or two mushroom or strawberry growers remaining," the most recent report states. So it's some surprise that the IFA's National Fruit and Vegetable Committee is chaired by Longfordman Niall McCormack. The McCormack family have been farming in Killenbore, Colehill, for seven generations, spanning over 200 years.
It's a busy time for Niall and his family as the crops are ripening. On top of the day-to-day operation, the Colehill farmer has additional responsibilities because of his IFA role. He recently headed up a delegation from the association that met with Senator Regina Doherty to discuss pressing issues for the sector.
Strawberries were grown on the farm since around 1995, but the move to intensification happened in 2003: "We saw there was a market for it. The strawberries could be grown in tunnels, so we didn't have to be in the sunny South East. The tunnels protect the crop from rain and keep them warm."
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