Dear Editor,
In response to the recent letter regarding farmers and hedgerows published on April 9th, I want to emphasise the deep pride farmers hold in maintaining their farms, hedgerows in particular. It’s been a longstanding belief that ‘agriculturally sound boundaries contribute to harmonious rural communities’ and this resonates with the idea that ‘providing animal shelter is akin to offering cost-free sustenance’.
Annually, as part of the Acres environmental plans, 50,000 Irish farmers contribute to the green landscape by sowing and nurturing thousands of kilometres of hedgerows. They painstakingly prune these hedgerows during the non-growth phase, adhering to the legal regulations, to safeguard birds during their nesting period.
Without careful maintenance, hedgerows would reach for the sky, lose their bushy density and cease to serve as effective livestock barriers. If left unchecked, hedgerows tend to sprawl into fields and roads, creating obstacles and negatively impacting productivity. Trimming hedgerows stimulates new low-level growth, reinforcing their density and continuing to provide stock control and animal shelter.
On a related note, it’s worth mentioning that county councils manicure hedgerows to ensure clear sightlines and safety for all road users, including drivers, pedestrians and cyclers.
While there is ongoing debate regarding the ecological benefits of allowing hedgerows to grow naturally to help absorb carbon, farmers deserve recognition for preserving their land in a conventional manner. In the near future, these neatly trimmed hedges will be bustling with newly sprung buds, hatchlings, wildflowers and a veritable colony of buzzing insects.
Kind Regards,
TOMÁS FINN,
From Ballinasloe,
Co Galway.