The Irish Farmers' Association took a further step into the commercial world yesterday with the announcement that it had set up its own telephone company.
The new service, to be called "IFA Telecom", will provide low-cost home and business call charges to the association's 85,000 members.
An IFA spokesman said yesterday the new service will offer significant savings to members who wish to join of 30 per cent on their communications charges.
The IFA has already concluded a mobile phone deal with Telecom and has a bulk-buying company for farm inputs.
The FBD insurance company was also set up to service IFA members, and a trust made up of the National Farmers' Association runs the Irish Farmers' Journal from the Farm Centre in Bluebell, Dublin.
Mr Pat Smith, IFA director of organisation, said yesterday IFA Telecom had been established with a commitment to provide members with best value call charges at all times.
"IFA Telecom call rates provide significant savings against all Eircom Option and Esat plans and other tariff offers," he said.
"Members will enjoy the best available call charges and save money and, since IFA Telecom is owned by the association, any profits generated by the company are put to work for the benefit of the members. It is a win-win situation for both the members and the association," he added.
"Over the coming weeks and months all IFA members will get the opportunity to benefit from the savings to be made with IFA Telecom and participate in building a farmer-owned telecommunications company."
In a further innovation, the association will be using the IFA Telecom phone bill as a communication tool to it members.
IFA Telecom subscribers will benefit from a bimonthly alert service on their telephone bill identifying key issues, news, and key application and closing date reminders that they need to be aware of in the period ahead, Mr Smith said.
The service will be sold to members through IFA offices around the country and it needs only 5,000 members to opt for the option to become profitable.
In recent years the IFA has been following the Scandinavian farm organisation models into areas of commercial activity, in the knowledge that farm numbers are continuing to drop and diversification will be necessary to keep the core organisation viable.