IT is now almost fifty years since the end of World War Two and in those fifty years farming in Ireland has seen more changes than in many centuries before.
The scarcities of war years and compulsory tillage had made many homes almost self- sufficient and women went to town on market day to sell eggs and butter. The farms produced potatoes, barley, oats, wheat and rye which was used for stock feeding and wheat was milled for flour.
The horse was the only source of power on most farms and implements were very few apart from the plough, the harrow and mowing-machine.
The home was heated with turf and the paraffin lamp the only source of light. The battery radio started to make its way to many homes and many changes were on the way.
A very significant development in 1944 was the formation of Macra na Feirme farming organisation aimed at educating the farmers and especially the young farmers in newer and more scientific methods of farming and soon its effects were to be seen nationwide.
A branch of Macra was formed in Newport and was soon one of the leading branches in the country. Its first priority was to press hard for rural electrification to be brought to the parish and it was successful.
With rural electrification came many benefits. The oil lamp gave way to the light bulb. The water was no longer carried from the well or river, it was pumped. The fridge, the cooker, the washing machine soon were part of most houses and life was much easier.
With the ending of the war, the giant factories that were geared to the war effort soon turned their attention to other uses. Factories like Ford and Ferguson soon started to turn out tractors at a reasonable price and a whole range of implements followed. The tractors made life for the farmer much better as the tractor would do in a few hours what the horse would do in a week. Soon the farm horse was redundant.
As farming conditions improved it was inevitable that farmers would look to the co-operative movement for better and more favourable conditions and soon in the late fifties the creamery co-ops spread their wings into Mayo with branches in Killala, Claremorris, Ballinrobe, Castlebar and Belmullet. Today more than twenty million gallons of milk are produced in Mayo. The co-op stores soon followed and with meals at competitive prices, farmers soon cut back production of cereals and today it is a rare sight to see a field of oats or barley.
Another big change came with the establishment of the co-op cattle marts and the old traditional fairs like 8th June, 11th November etc. soon were but a memory.
The introduction of an artificial insemination service for cows was another feature to come on stream and instead of bringing the cow to the bull, the A.I. man arrives and does the job with much less hassle.
When Ireland joined the E.C. this again brought its changes, and new regulations but it also brought great prosperity to the farming community, with higher prices for livestock and good subsidies. Things look bright but yet the young desert the land despite all the great changes that have come in the past fifty years.