We are well into lockdown mode and are now heading into the third week with at least another three weeks of the same.

The government announced last week that lockdown will continue until May 5th when, at that date, the situation will be reviewed. The vast majority of people are staying at home. The streets in our cities and towns are very quiet now. This coronavirus is making our country a strange place to live in and it is taking its toll on a lot of businesses around the country.

With regard to the service dealer industry, it’s like a tale of opposites. The agricultural sector (and to a lesser extent the sportsturf sector) is bearing the brunt of COVID-19 quite well. However, the same cannot be said for the garden care and domestic machinery sector. This is not doing as well as the agricultural business.

One of the reasons for this is that farmers are listed as part of the government’s essential workforce that needs to stay operational. They are the producers and suppliers of our food and they need to be allowed to work on the land to prepare for the sowing of crops. Their machines need to be kept operational. Up to now we have had three weeks of fine weather. Farmers and contractors have been taking advantage of the dry ground conditions. With all these tractors and machines at full output, there will be the inevitable breakdowns and spare parts will need to be ordered. Agricultural dealers are busy taking orders over the phone and taking the precautionary measures to get them delivered or making arrangements for customers to collect them.

On the other hand, lawnmower sales have dwindled as people are staying at home and tending to their gardens (using their old mowers). This sector is seen as ‘non essential’ and, as a result, many dealers have temporarily closed down, letting their employees go. However, those that remain open do so with limited staff and workshops will only carry out emergency repairs and breakdowns while parts are to be ordered over the phone.

Meanwhile, our golf courses remain temporarily closed but groundstaff are allowed to travel to work to maintain their courses. Unfortunately, the coronavirus has badly affected one golf club in Co. Kerry. Castleisland Members Golf Club may not reopen its gates when the lockdown is over. The club has sent a letter to its members informing them that the club will be wound up this month unless a rescue plan can be formulated. Let’s hope that a rescue plan will be found.

The closing of golf courses has led to some problems in that a few members of the public are using them as walking areas, now that the danger of being hit with a golf ball is gone.

Outdoor events up to the end of June and into July have been cancelled or postponed. These include GLAS 2020, FTMTA Grass & Muck 2020 and many of the agricultural shows around the country.

It looks like this lockdown is going to continue for a few weeks more but I hope that the end is soon in sight. I would like to think that, by the time I write my next blog, we will have a time frame for a resumption of life back to normal, whatever shape that will take.