IFA national chairman Jer Bergin has called on the next government to appoint an independent ombudsman to ensure grocery goods regulations are effective, and farmers get a ‘fair deal’ in any transactions, the Irish Examiner reported. “The IFA is looking for a commitment in the next programme for government that a system similar to that in the UK, which is paid for by the retailers themselves, would be put in place here to regulate retailer behaviour,” Bergin said.
Revenue officers have seized cigarettes worth €9,500 at Dublin Airport. The seizure consisted of 19,000 Marlboro-branded cigarettes, which represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of around €7,000. The contraband was found in the suitcase of a Moldovan man who had flown from Chisnau via Istanbul.
Flooded farms have received an average of €1,500 in relief payments, according to Agriland.ie. The Department of Agriculture received 377 applications for relief payments under the Fodder Aid Scheme between January 7 and January 22.
Wexford-based Drew Fox Brewing earned a silver medal prize at the Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fair in Dublin earlier this month. WexfordPeople.ie writes that the brewery won the accolade for its Clever Man Ejector Seat Turf Smoked Stout. The beer was also selected as beer of the month for Georgina Campbell’s Ireland guide.
Carlsberg has appointed Michiel J. Herkemij as its new Senior Vice President for the Western European region. Herkemij has served as Interim CEO of the company’s UK branch since October 2015, and replaces Jørn Tolstrup Rohde, who will leave Carlsberg to look for a new position.
Seven cows have died from lead poisoning on a farm that supplies Dairygold Co-operative Society. The Irish Independent reported that milk supplies from the affected farm in north Cork have been suspended, but that food safety watchdogs are satisfied that there is no risk to customers.
Antrim Hills has won its first export business in the United Arab Emirates, supplying its ‘Water Within’ range to Dubai Duty Free. Peter Geary, CEO of Antrim Hills, commented, “Over the course of many visits to Dubai, we have developed a special relationship with our distributor and look forward to building upon it to deliver this immensely important contract."
Visa has announced the launch of Visa Checkout, a new online payment service, across several European countries, including Ireland. Visa Checkout ‘brings the security and convenience of the Visa card to the digital world’, the company said in a statement. “The incredible growth in connected commerce makes this the perfect time to bring Visa Checkout to the hundreds of millions of connected consumers using mobile devices across Europe,” said a Visa spokesperson.
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