Leasing land is best says top young Galway farmer

AS young Galway farmer Eamonn Burke from Corrandulla competes for the national FBD Young Farmer of the Year title he says that leasing land is best in the current economic climate.
Eamonn, who is 33 and married with two young children, farms about 500 acres of leased land. This system works best for him at a time when agricultural land costs from €10,000 to €12,000 per acre and upwards.
He is involved in mixed farming, mostly tillage and beef, and along with his father, who owns 12 acres, they are also involved in agri- contracting.
When Eamonn competes in the All-Ireland semi-finals in Athlone next Wednesday he will be hoping to get to the final six and possibly become the first Galway man ever to win the competition which is run by Macra na Feirme in partnership with the IFA.