Sexing the farmer

Madam, - I found your Editorial of August 2nd most informative

Madam, - I found your Editorial of August 2nd most informative. Until now, I was blissfully unaware that farmers had to be male and married. Your mention of "farmers or their wives" set me straight in that regard.

However, some confusion remains. Does Mary Raftery's reference, in her column of the same day, to "decoupling" in the farming sector mean that the marriage requirement is to be dropped? Clarification is needed from Ireland's newspaper of record. - Yours, etc,

EEMER EIVERS, Cremore Drive, Dublin 11.