New podcast series on farming issues launched

ABP has launched the first episode of its podcast series, Farm Matters, centred on the important issue of farm safety.

Guests for the first episode include Kerrie Leonard, who was the victim of a farming accident, Pat Griffin, senior inspector with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), and Alma Jordan, founder of AgriKids.

In this episode, Kerrie, from Co. Meath, discusses the life-changing spinal injury she suffered in a farming accident and how it has impacted her life and that of her family. She strongly believes in promoting the importance of farm safety and the potential dangers, while also operating a working farm area.

Since her accident, Kerrie has competed internationally in archery, completed a masters qualification, and is currently working with a technology company.

Pat, meanwhile, provides industry statistics on the profile of farmers who are most vulnerable to accidents and discusses what needs to be done to tackle the issue.

While agriculture represents just 5% of the working population, it consistently represents approximately 40% of workplace deaths, with children and the elderly having accounted for 75% of fatalities on farms so far this year.

Pat also speaks about the impact of Covid-19 on the agriculture sector, as well as the correlation between mental health and farming accidents.

Alma, founder of Meath-based AgriKids, highlights the current work that is underway to empower and educate children on farm safety, how it has adapted to Covid-19 by embracing technology to reach an online audience, and plans for the organisation.

The managing director of ABP Ireland, Martin Kane, commented: “ABP is delighted to announce the launch of the first episode of its new podcast, which examines the important issue of farm safety.

“I would like to thank Pat Griffin, Alma Jordan and Kerrie Leonard for sharing their experiences, opinions and expertise with us. Moving forward, we will continue to delve into topics of interest and relevance to Ireland’s agricultural sector with a variety of different experts.”

The podcast series, presented by Mary Kennedy, aims to create a dialogue within the farming community across Ireland regarding a wide array of topics.

Upcoming episodes of the podcast will examine the areas of rural life during the pandemic and reducing emissions in dairy beef.

In line with government Covid-19 guidelines, all podcast episodes are recorded over Zoom. Episodes will be available on https://abpfoodgroup.com/about-us/podcast and on Spotify, Google, Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, Castbox and other podcast platforms.