I hope you had a great Christmas, despite the restrictions that were imposed upon us.

Christmas, for me, was very pleasant. In a normal year my mother would arrive to our house for Christmas dinner but this year she stayed at home and had dinner on her own. It didn’t bother her in the slightest. She is a very practical person and has taken all the restrictions in her stride. As long as she is able to get out for her daily walk she is quite content. Her positive outlook is refreshing.

I did feel sorry for those who were unable to travel home from abroad to spend Christmas with their families. We are back in full lockdown again for at least another month. Not a great start to the year. Hopefully, 2021 will see an end to Covid-19, now that the vaccines have started to be distributed and administered. However, it will take many months before the entire nation has been vaccinated. The past two weeks has seen a huge spike in coronavirus cases so there is still a long way to go before we are rid of the virus.

It was great to hear that a Brexit deal was eventually finalised, agreed and signed. It seems that most are happy (or more likely relieved) with the deal. However, those in the fishing industry are not happy with it. We will have to wait and see how it all pans out, especially in our own industry. At first glance it looks like that there will be little or no tariffs on goods coming in and out of the UK. There are over 1200 pages in the Brexit deal document so there is a lot to digest.

A sign of things to come? Three cargo ships wait their turn to enter Rosslare Europort on New Year’s day. (Photo Alan Mahon) 

One of the things I would like to see in 2021 is the reduction in farm fatalities. Up to the 13th of October, 2020, there were 17 farm related fatalities in Ireland. The total number of fatalities on farms recorded in 2019 was 19, representing 48% of all work related fatalities. As sellers of farm and horticultural tractors, machinery and equipment, we have a responsibility to make our customers aware of the dangers associated with these machines and to inform them of the safety precautions needed to ensure their safe operation. No family wants to get a knock on the door telling them that their loved one has been killed in a farm accident. 

The start of a new year brings a lot of excitement and anticipation. We look forward to new machinery being introduced and the development of new and innovative technology. Already we have seen technology entering the tractor cab with GPS guidance systems used for spraying, fertiliser spreading, mowing, seeding and much more. Robotic mowing for garden and professional use on sportspitches has increased substantially in 2020. I’m sure this will continue in 2021. What new developments await us in 2021? I can’t wait to find out.

To finish up, I would like to wish you and your families all the very best for the New Year. I hope it will be a year that, above all, will keep you safe and healthy.