This article is from page 71 of the 2008-06-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 71 JPG
THE countdown is well and truly underway for the biggest farming event so far this year as FarmFest and BioEnergy ‘08 threatens to enve- lope Athenry in County Galway this week.
An estimated 40,000 farmers are expected to invade Teagasc’s 30 hec- tare Mellow’s Campus on Friday, with the highlight for many likely to be Ireland’s first ever BioEnergy ex- hibition.
More than 400 exhibitors will showcase all aspects of Ireland’s ever changing countryside in a spectrum of attractive tented villages and ex- hibition spaces. The BioEnergy ex- hibition is being presented jointly by Teagasc, Coford and Sustainable En-
ergy Ireland (SEI) and will feature a tented village and outdoor exhibition space where displays, from biomass stove and boiler and equipment and fuel suppliers, will be central.
Bioenergy experts will also set up workshops and give practical dem- onstrations and field excursions to visitors.
Bioenergy and wood based fuels have a key role to play in finding workable and cost effective solutions to fossil fuel dependency in Ireland and so FarmFest & BioEnergy ‘08 will be of interest to land owners, home owners, businesses, forestry managers professionals and entre- preneurs alike who want to find out more about bioenergy crops and the emerging forest fuel market.
With Biomass having the potential
to meet up to 10 per cent of our en- ergy needs by 2010, to redirect hun- dreds of millions of euro to the Irish economy, create over 4,000 new jobs and assist in rural development by providing new markets in the farm- ing and forestry sectors, the BioEn- ergy Village at FarmFest & BioEn- ergy ‘08 promises to be a focal point for visitors.
“Equally important to the finan- cial benefits are the environmental benefits of developing Ireland’s vast bioenergy resources as they will also contribute to meeting national and international renewable targets, cli- mate change mitigation policies and waste policies which is good news for everyone,’ said Nuala Ni Fhlatharta of Teagasc.
As well as the BioEnergy Exhibi-
tion, Farmfest & BioEnergy °08 will see a variety of tented villages and Open-space exhibits on dairy, cattle, sheep and tillage enterprises and en- vironmental and sustainability.
A forestry village will also be set up where exhibitors will be on hand along with the forestry development unit to show visitors how forestry can be used as a land use option, how to improve genetic source and timber quality and there will also be live demonstrations of forestry harvest- ing and chipping all day long.