Over the years, I have always found farmer visitors at the Ploughing representative of the best that Irish farming has to offer – solid, hardworking and deeply involved in every sector of the industry.

This year, a huge crowd in well-deserved glorious sunshine assessed where as individuals and as a sector they stood.

There are always concerns – Brexit, grain prices and dairy prospects. But this year, at least in my experience, one subject dominated – beef.

There is little doubt that farmers’ interests are best protected by a strong unified farming organisation

The overwhelming feeling that came across to me was that no matter how deeply individual picketers felt, it was utterly wrong that a small group acting outside the mainstream should feel free to inflict serious losses on their fellow farmers and jeopardise the future of a critical national industry.

There is little doubt that farmers’ interests are best protected by a strong unified farming organisation.

The Government has seen fit to negotiate with a large number of new bodies which would never happen in a trade union context.

But, leaving that aside, it is ludicrous giving those on the picket line the right to reject or accept a centrally negotiated and agreed deal.

The year progresses and a backlog builds up

By definition, those who have manned the pickets for a long time will be the least equipped to see the bigger picture, especially if what has been repeatedly said to me at the Ploughing is true – that there are very few on the lines who are serious cattle farmers and even fewer who are facing serious short-term losses as cattle go out of spec.

The year progresses and a backlog builds up.

The broader processing industry is now losing contracts for which we will all pay.

Nobody denies we need to see legislative changes in aspects of the beef processing industry but the point has been made, and a task force has been established whose terms of operation I look forward to seeing.

But above all, it’s time to get back to business.