Wednesday 20 February 2019
A group of “Fit Farmers” who have come together to beat the bulge say the initiative has improved their physical and mental wellbeing but that they won’t be giving up meat anytime soon.
The heatwave of last summer revealed a hidden treasure trove of ancient monuments across Ireland, satellite pictures reveal.
Britons could face shortages of fresh food, price rises and less variety if the country leaves the European Union next month without agreeing trade terms, food industry officials say.
The British government will use tools including tariffs and quotas to make sure its farmers are not left at a competitive disadvantage by Brexit, environment minister Michael Gove will say today.
Total shareholder return at Kerry Group declined by 6.8pc in 2018, despite the company reporting an increase in revenue and profits.
For the sheep on Alan Hutton's farm outside Basingstoke, about 50 miles west of London, the outcome of Brexit will mean life or death.
Rural Ireland firmly believes the Government has forgotten about it. While just 12 months ago, the Taoiseach said farmers were the heartbeat of rural Ireland and the lifeblood of the recovered economy, he seems to have forgotten a couple of important things, so it is little wonder he is far from popular among farmers at the moment.
Only 38 days to go. To the continuing amazement of those who clung to the forlorn hope that calm heads and political professionals would come together for the sake of the common good and thrash out some sort of agreement, we are now further away from any sort of rational compromise on Brexit than ever before.
After a slow start to the season for pedigree breeders, the first spring shoots of the year lifted the trade for bulls at the opening official breed society show and sale for 2019 at Tullamore.
A company claims Government assistance for a €26m wind farm project is being jeopardised by a farmer's refusal to comply with an agreement he made to permit cabling work to be carried on his land, the Commercial Court heard.
Walking the farm and keeping it simple are sheep farmer Dan O'Loughlin’s main grassland management tips for reaching the 'magic day' (when grass growth equals demand) on his farm near Monasterevin, Co Kildare.
Gardaí have arrested two suspects after recovering a stolen trailer in Wexford.
A no-deal Brexit will lead "virtually instantaneously" to price rises on popular food products in shops, the head of Birds Eye in the UK has warned.
Agriculture/forestry/fisheries/veterinary graduates have the second lowest pay rates after leaving college, a new survey reveals.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has a new DNA scanning tool to identify the entire DNA content of a food.
Just because I am a bit of a cow doesn't mean that I cannot be someone's pet!
FARMERS with stocks of dried barley are struggling to source buyers for their grain, and there are growing fears that prices could fall by €35/t from the post-harvest high.
Consumers are being asked their views on eating meat from “gene-edited” animals as researchers aim to eradicate livestock disease.
Ireland is set to prove warmer than the French Riviera by the weekend as a front of African and Mediterranean weather helps deliver an exceptionally mild spring.
A TEENAGE girl who is taking part in a tractor run in memory of her grandfather is calling on other females to take to the road with her this Easter.
The energy requirement of single, twin and triplet-bearing ewes increase by 40, 60 and 70pc respectively during late pregnancy.
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton has announced funding for energy efficient dairy farm equipment.
Should the Government ditch the National Broadband Plan and trust a wireless operator to follow through on a promise to connect 400,000 rural homes and businesses? This is now a big question for Richard Bruton, the Taoiseach and more than a million Irish people in badly-served broadband areas.
Eir says by June of this year some 30,000 farms will have access to high-speed fibre broadband under its fibre to the home rural rollout.
Irish livestock farmers and Chinese steel producers have something in common. Both are successful exporters, both generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions and both are in the firing line in the debate on climate policy.
Q I am a young trained farmer and my father, having reached retirement age, has decided to transfer the family suckler farm to me.
All sheds are cleaned out for lambing and have been disinfected and sprayed with probiotics. I'm gathering up gates around the farm for the lambing pens and making sure I have all the supplies I need for lambing.
Farmers in 45 countries still use antibiotics to boost animal growth, despite warnings from health experts and bans on the practice in many parts of the world, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday.
EU agri-food operators are clamouring for extra aid as the clock ticks down to cliff-edge Brexit.
Farming and polocrosse do not exactly go hand in hand, but somehow Arklow-based Stephen Nuzum finds the time to combine his busy workload and his love of the sport.
The spring 2019 calving season is kicking off on a positive note.
Blaney multipurpose wheeled loaders have been designed to be compact to aid manoeuvrability and mobility.
Field work is usually at a minimum in January and February but the mild winter meant that this January was an exception and some sowing and spraying was carried out.
France will be ready to handle border inspections in the event of a no-deal Brexit but fears long tailbacks at the Channel as goods flow between Britain and Europe, its agriculture minister said.
The beef grid system has to go - and while the authorities are dismantling it, they can also scrap the 30-month age limit for selling cattle: that's the verdict of Tim MacRaith, a lifelong beef man from Garryspillane in Co Limerick.
'After 61 years, I've finally become an overnight success' - although Celtic Wind Crops CEO Joe Gavin jokes about the speed at which the hemp oil business he set up six years ago has grown, there is plenty of truth in his statement.
A man who operated a 'chop shop' for stolen parts from luxury cars including BMWs and Audis as well as high-tech tractors has been jailed for two years.
A 91ac residential farm at Blackwater, between Enniscorthy and Wexford, sold under the hammer last week making €1.42m - €420,000 more than its guide price and more than €15,600/ac.
A Northern Ireland Angus breeder outbid strong competition from ringside for the top price pedigree bull at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday where the overall trade was much improved on the previous week.
We took a leap of faith last week when we bought two Stabiliser bulls.
Komatsu has launched its latest version WA100M Dash 8 compact wheel loader on the market in Ireland
CALVING season is in full swing on Irish farms.
New figures from the Department of Agriculture show that while TB is at historically low levels, progress towards eradication appears to have slowed since 2015.
The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has rejected call's for full-time farmers to receive higher forestry payments.
Members of IFA in Mayo have shut down their own local branch, but senior IFA officials say it will be re-established.
Over 60pc of Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES) grant aid went to farmers in Munster over the last four years, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.
Research is intensifying on the impact of spreading sewage sludge on farmland in spreading microplastics into watercourses.
A group of residents who are fighting plans to overturn night flights in and out of Dublin Airport are determined not to let it happen.
I think it can be fair to say that beef has not had its best days lately. From the LANCET report linking diets to health and sustainability, to the recent food safety scandal in Poland, the beef sector is once more on the receiving end of news headlines.
The auction season has started with a bang in Co Cork, where a 46.2ac holding with a derelict dwelling and a habitable chalet at Knockadooma, Templemartin near Bandon made €840,000, or €18,181/ac.
A deterioration in the effectiveness of some of the most commonly used animal remedies is spreading at an "alarming" rate, a leading vet has warned.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union says it is frustrated that meat plants in the North have increased direct imports of cattle from the Republic for slaughter.
The EU and its member states must develop a strategy to shift from live animal transport to transport of meat-and-carcass and germinal products, when possible, the European Parliament said on Thursday.
Spring calving programmes have begun on the vast majority of dairy farms. This is an extremely challenging period for farm staff, freshly calved cows and new-born calves. In this column I will look at how these challenges can be addressed.
Milk prices look set to remain at 30-32c/l over the coming months, despite Brexit and potential weather volatility, according to Ornua.
The chief executive of a wireless broadband firm will warn the government today that proceeding with state-subsidised broadband for 540,000 rural homes under the National Broadband Plan represents “unnecessary state intervention” and ”could lead to difficulties with state aid approval” in the EU.
Near one of the scores of small border crossings on the island of Ireland, a yellow digger stands as a monument to the lengths communities went to to keep roads open during Northern Ireland's violent "Troubles".
The trade for sheep appears to have levelled off, with factory quotes for lambs remaining unchanged from last week. Dawn, ICM and Kepak held their official base quotes steady at €5.20/kg plus various bonuses.
Farmers need to use more holistic methods of pest control this springtime with important management chemicals in danger of being removed from the marketplace, it has been urged.
Fianna Fail members have written to the chair of the Oireachtais Joint Committee on Agriculture calling for an emergency meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Michael Creed to address issues that are preventing the current expansion of live exports of calves.
Farmers have said they have been caught in a 'costs-price squeeze' as overheads continue to rise while farmgate prices flatline or fall.
Glanbia Ireland (GI) has launched a new two-year Fixed Milk Price Scheme (Phase 13) offering a milk price of 31.5 cent per litre (cpl) (including VAT).
Lakeland Dairies has held its milk price and will pay 32.06 cent per litre, inclusive of VAT and lactose bonus, for January milk supplies.
Today we're out on the farm of Ed Payne, a dairy farmer in Roscommon who has two herds - one milking the traditional twice a day and the other once a day.
I'm not going to pretend there is any real good news on the factory price front. Bullocks and heifers remain the same price as they have for weeks: €3.75/kg and €3.85/kg respectively.
The IFA set out demands today for a multi-million euro package for ‘the beef sector in case prices plummet in a ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario.
A hard Brexit would be devastating for the agri-food sector, according to the former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar came under pressure in the Dail yesterday over the delivery of a low-cost loan scheme for farmers.
Business men and developers were key figures in auction rooms during the Celtic Tiger years, eager to bolster the small holdings they may have come from, or 'go back to their roots'.
Feeding suckler cows based on their body condition score is essential to reduce feed costs on suckler cow farms where maintaining cows can take up 70pc of the total feed costs, according to UCD Lecturer and Pedigree Beef farmer Alan Kelly speaking at a Teagasc suckler cow conference held in Mayo.
McDonald's is the world's largest restaurant chain. Founded in America in the 1940s, it currently serves some 69 million customers a day, across more than 37,000 outlets. Over 150,000 customers a day visit Ireland's 92 McDonald's.
Pesticide use is driving an "alarming" decline in the world's insects that could have a "catastrophic" impact on nature's ecosystems.
Irish production of beef and milk is relatively carbon-efficient on a global scale, although our ranking within the European Union is less clear.
Grass growth is surging ahead, with estimates that early cover could be worth up to €1.5m a day to farmers.
Finishers are finding it extremely difficult to get young bulls killed, with some facing a six-week wait, it has emerged.
Last week's spat in the Dáil between Agriculture minister Michael Creed and Independent TD Mick Wallace was a foretaste of what is likely to be an increasingly emotive debate about the environmental impact of farming.
Glanbia will pay its Member milk suppliers 32 cent per litre (cpl) including VAT for January manufacturing milk supplies at 3.6pc butterfat and 3.3pc protein.
A convicted sex offender and fraudster was jailed once again this week for conning farmers into handing over tractors.
Donald Trump's main agricultural advisor spent what is thought to be a record breaking $1.5m on an Angus bull in recent days.
Communication between the IFA and its thousands of members countrywide has been brought under the microscope as the organisation conducts a review into the issue.
A judge has expressed "deep concern" about the state of a farm in County Tyrone where carcasses were found lying amongst livestock.
The supply of letting land has hit a record low and prices have climbed as high as €350/ac for grazing and up to €600/ac for potato ground.
Sales of plant-based milks have soared in the last year amid the increasing popularity of vegan diets.
Lively demand and fine prices are reported in early calf sales, despite growing fears that a combination of restricted lairage capacity and shipping schedules could seriously hit the live export trade this spring.
Although agricultural green-house gases (GHGs) are difficult to reduce, it is not impossible and can done by improving efficiencies on farms, according to a recent report by Teagasc.
Unlike most regions on the western seaboard, north Kerry has a thriving dairy sector and is of course home to the Kerry Group, one of the most successful food companies in the world. The global player began its life in Listowel.
Land sales are slowly cranking into action after the seasonal lull and a selection of good quality small to medium-sized farms are now on the market in Leinster.
With the exception of 90 ewes on a late pregnancy feeding trial, all other ewes and ewe lambs at Lyons are still outdoors.
Cristal Union, France’s second-largest sugar group, said on Monday the “golden age” for European Union sugar producers was over and that it expected significant changes in the EU sugar sector.
The Department of Agriculture, as a result of a recent joint operation with Revenue’s Customs Service, seized illegal meat at Dublin port recently.
It's amazing how year after year farmers pay big money for fertiliser and yet don't bother setting up their spreader properly.
Pedigree Angus bulls met with reasonable demand while prices continued under pressure at the first sale of the year for the breed hosted by the Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday.
Spring is set to announce itself this week as temperatures are expected to rise to 15 degrees.
My name is Blackie. I am a female German Shepherd who lives on a farm in Co Waterford.
The Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently published the Ireland - One Health Report on Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance.
Concerns have been raised over a proposal to impose a 30-day pre-movement TB test on animals the New EU Animal Health Law.
A lot has happened since our last report from Michael Duffy's farm in October.
For two olive farmers from Syria, integrating into the rural town of Claremorris, Mayo, was not necessarily going to be easy.
I could write an article every week on farm succession and I'm not sure I would be able to satisfy the demand for information on this topic. I have dealt with the many aspects of succession in previous articles, but the queries keep on rolling in.
In the last week of January there were 529 prime cattle were exported to Northern Ireland for direct slaughter in local plants which took total imports for January 2019 to 1,398 head.
Businessman Philip Reynolds, son of former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, has sold down his last remaining 15pc stake in the family business, C&D Foods, to beef baron Larry Goodman.
Wildlife poaching by criminal gangs has reached levels not seen since the 1980s, gardaí have warned.
Around this time of the winter, I usually get that "glass half-empty" feeling when I look at my rapidly shrinking silage pit.
In 1997, Oliver Walsh's home farm outside Ballinasloe was on the brink of collapse. "That's how close it got. I was drinking heavily and about to lose everything," he recalls.
The mild weather since Christmas came to an abrupt end last week with the first snow of the winter arriving. Thankfully it didn't last or hang about.
In Ireland, there are effectively only three mainstream banks lending to farmers for long-term agricultural projects such as purchasing land or farm building developments.
Last week, the nurses of Ireland braved the wintry elements in a strike calling for improved wages and working conditions.
MARMALADE was no ordinary hen.
Legal professionals must ensure all cases involving mart accident claims are "fair and rational", a marts spokesman has urged.
Rarely does a farm this quality and size come on the market, according to Quinn Property, who are offering a 246ac residential farm for sale outside Enniscorthy.
Contractors are quoting a 5pc increase on charges in order to meet with the increases in costs of machinery and higher labour costs since the start of 2019.
US farmers are in “relatively stable” financial health despite a bruising trade war between the United States and China that has weakened crop prices, the chief executive of farm supplier Nutrien Ltd said this week.
Veterinary pharmaceutical firm Norbrook Holdings has said it is in the process of stockpiling six months worth of products for its EU customers ahead of Brexit day on March 29.
Poultry farmers are today protesting outside the Kerry Foods plant in Wicklow that produces its Denny slow cooked ‘made in Wicklow’ chicken.
Famers and local business owners are being advised to secure their fuel tanks, after a spate of thefts of diesel from premises.
A North Louth farmer who lost eight pregnant ewes carrying up to 17 lambs in a savage attack by marauding dogs claims many sheep owners aren’t bothering to report kills any more.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD, has announced that he will make €10 million available in a new round of funding for Local Improvement Schemes (LIS).
Dublin-based machinery distributors Farmhand will have a big presence at this year's FTMTA show at Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare this week.
The FTMTA Farm Machinery Show marks its third anniversary when the sector's flagship event comes to Punchestown from Thursday to Saturday this week.
The President of ICMSA has responded furiously to remarks made in the Dail yesterday by Mick Wallace, TD, when the Wexford independent described Irish dairy and beef sectors as a “short-sighted cash generator” and lumped our farming and food industries in with coal-mining and gas-fracking.
A man who assaulted a store detective after being asked to leave a supermarket where he had taken his pet sheep has spoken of his relief after avoiding jail.
Met Éireann has issued Status Orange and Yellow weather warnings for Ireland as Storm Erik is set to bring gale force winds.
A farmer in Australia has set a high bar for wedding proposals ahead of Valentine’s Day by asking the big question in 70-metre high letters carved into a field of wheat.
A farmer has revealed how he was attacked and crushed against a wall by a cow trying to protect her calf.
THE Health and Safety Authority is currently carrying out an intensive farm safety inspection campaign, where some 250 farms nation wide will be inspected with a focus on the safe management of livestock during calving season, when the risk of injury to farmers increases significantly.
It has been a difficult new year for beef farmers. Poor market conditions have been compounded by continued Brexit uncertainty.
At first glance, the sheep trade continues to push on well, with Kepak Athleague yesterday raising their quote by 15c/kg to €5.20+ 15c/kg QA.
A decade-old lawsuit in which a French farmer with neurological problems accuses Monsanto of not providing adequate safety warnings for a weedkiller returned to court on Wednesday, adding to health claims faced by the Bayer-owned firm.
The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has responded to criticism of the continued use of references years in formulating farmers' EU farm payments.
Fianna Fail has demanded clarity in the coming days from the Government on what preparations are being made and what farmers can expect in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Bayer said on Wednesday that farmers in France and Germany were digging up thousands of hectares of rapeseed fields after traces of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) banned for cultivation were found in seeds sold by the company.
Both the beef and dairy sector and the gas fracking sector are carbon emitting and have to be scaled back massively, according to Wexford Independent TD, Mick Wallace.
Reports that a technology company has proposed a solution to the Irish border after Brexit have been greeted with scepticism in Northern Ireland.
Prices for bullocks and heifers remain fixed in recent days week at €3.75 and €3.85/kg respectively.
ICSA Animal Health and Welfare chairman Hugh Farrell has said that many farmers who have never had a BVD positive test result in their calves are fed up with a scheme that has gone on for seven years and he said that it is now time to make 2019 the last year of full scale compulsory testing.
A Lauragh farmer was convicted and fined €750 at Kenmare District Court for failing to ensure that livestock manure and other effluent from silage and manure pits was stored properly to prevent run-off or seepage into ground water.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has ruled out fencing off sections of the Killarney National Park alongside public main roads where deer are crossing onto the paths of motorists.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will travel to Brussels today to lobby key EU leaders to pledge major emergency aid for Ireland if the UK crashes out next month.
New research from Teagasc shows that while there is finally some improvement in in terms of pH, Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) levels, our soils are still far from optimum fertility and the requirement for significant investment in fertilisers continues.
Over the last two weeks, Teagasc ran it largest ever nationwide series of Forestry Advisory Clinics.
Just days after being released from hospital with hip replacements, two farmers will appear on this week's Winning Streak after their lucky stars were pulled from the drum.
A 10-20pc drop in cattle numbers in the marts has been reported over the last week as poor factory prices and the continuing Brexit debacle in Britain fuels uncertainty in the trade.
Agricultural courses have always been a big part of education in counties Galway and Clare with courses available in Teagasc Centres and in Mountbellew Agricultural College. Courses are still in demand and intake has been steady over the last number of years in both counties.
Cavan sheep farmer Daphne Scott is asking dog owners to look at the pictures of her dead sheep, after her flock was attacked over the weekend by a dog, leaving eight ewes dead.
Difficulties with ferry schedules and lairage capacity could significantly restrict calf exports this spring, industry sources have warned.
Only 85pc of lambs are all lambs conceived are alive at weaning time. While it’s not possible to save every lamb, a few simple changes can go a long way to reduce lamb mortality on farm. Here are Teagasc's guidelines on how to best prevent lamb deaths:
It's essential for all farming families to take into account all aspects included in farm transfers, now more than ever because of the move towards higher ‘wealth taxes’, according to IFAC Accountants Head of Tax Declan McEvoy.
The President of Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has warned of “well-insulated executives” against underplaying Brexit as “an economic hiccup”.
Although the Irish climate bestows high yield potential for its primary tillage crops, it also supports the prevalence of many crop diseases, presently controlled using pesticides, according to Ewen Mullins.
The country's largest exporter of dairy products has moved to store over six months of Cheddar cheese in warehousing in the UK as a Brexit buffer.
With the wintry weather, we have plenty of time to get our Nitrates Plan finished and soil samples out. We need to study them for the upcoming season to see what's needed where.
Sometimes it can be easy to grab headlines. Beef barons, sheikhs and Coolmore Stud in one soundbite is enough to catch anyone's eye.
Farmers have been urged to ensure they are aware of the rules governing lighting on tractors.
I have had numerous calls recently since Christmas from cattle farmers about their Bord Bia assurance audits and what steps they can take to pass.
Phil Hogan is gone from Irish politics for more than four years. But he still has strong and critical views on things like Ireland's recent alcohol control legislation.
We asked the main farming organisations where they stand on EU proposals to cut large farm payments.
The farmer needs income support if he is going to be there at all. If there are no farmers, there is no environmental protection, in particular in upland areas.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is Europe’s answer to the need for a decent standard of living for 22 million farmers and agricultural workers and a stable, varied and safe food supply for its 500 million citizens.
Huge payments of farm subsidies to individuals from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has long been a cause of outrage to farmers.
A quarter of farmers say they have insufficient fodder on their farms, according to the Teagasc Fodder Survey.
Tributes have been paid to one of the great stalwarts of the GAA in Limerick, Patrick McLoughlin, who died on his farm in County Limerick on Saturday morning, the Limerick Leader reports.
The country's milk pool has hit a massive 7.5 billion litres as dairy farmers have reached their 50pc expansion target a full two years early.
While the top quality bulls met with good demand the overall trade was tough at the opening pedigree bull sale of 2019 hosted by the Midland and Western Livestock improvement Society at the Showgrounds, Carick-on-Shannon Saturday.
Reports that the European Commission has agreed compensation for Irish farmers of a collapse in prices, has been dismissed by senior EU officials.
Farm families face months of continued uncertainty around the Fair Deal scheme as legislation which is expected to reduce the burden of nursing home fees may not be approved until the autumn.
Meath-based agritech firm Hexafly is looking to raise €10m this year.
Hundreds of consumers have voiced their anger online over Irish food labelling laws that allow Brazilian chicken to be labelled as 'made in Wicklow'.
Q My younger son announced his engagement at Christmas and is getting married next year. He farms the family farm with my husband, myself and our other son, who is unmarried. My younger son’s fiancée is not used to farm life and works as a nurse in the town. We like her well enough but worry that if anything goes wrong in the future she would have some claim over the farm which we...
Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae may believe that avoiding eating meat to help the world's climate is "crazy" and "a fad", but whatever your view on that particular issue, there's no avoiding the fact that the Irish consumer's relationship with food is changing.
Research shows that based on current fungicide chemistries it is estimated that the potential loss of chlorothalonil would result in a significant reduction in net margins, reflecting a significant loss in disease control and yield, according to Teagasc Senior Research Officer Steven Kildea.
While dozens of young men and women continue to leave the Irish farming sectors each year in favour of more lucrative jobs, it is comforting to see 25-year-old Michael Kavanagh building a nice career for himself.
Boltown Hall at Kilskyre near Kells in Co Meath is a 19th-century home fully renovated by its current owners.
Cabinet ministers were warned the beef, dairy and pig meat industry could be "wiped out" if Britain crashes out of the European Union, the Sunday Independent can reveal.
Historically, there has been a wide range in farm profitability. That range continues to persist, and sheep farms are no exception. In this article, the focus will be on mid-season lowland lamb enterprises, the most predominant lowland sheep system.
Around this time every year we get the opportunity to assess the top tractor manufacturers' performances in the Irish machinery market.
France’s agriculture minister sought to reassure households that food shopping bills would not jump dramatically as a rise in minimum food prices aimed at raising farmers’ incomes came into effect on Friday.
A key focus in this year’s Positive Farmers conference was mental resilience towards the inevitable stressors that each farmer is subject throughout the year.
Recent claims by a Brexiteer that WTO tariffs would not apply for 10 years in the case of a no-deal Brexit have been rubbished by a leading WTO legal expert.
Some eight out of 10 tillage farmers are deemed economically viable according to data presented by Teagasc Research Officer, Fiona Thorne at the recent National Tillage conference held in Lyrath, Co Kilkenny.
The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, today announced the commencement of the first tranche of payments under the EID sheep tag subsidy scheme.
Cork farmer Alan Jagoe has been elected as the new Chairman of Agri Aware.
I don't know which debate is currently more absurd - the climate change debate in Ireland telling people that reducing the intake of Irish agricultural produce is an effective way of saving the planet, or the now farcical Brexit debate, which is detrimental to one's ear drums.
The latest meeting of the Beef Plan movement group has said it will start canvassing politicians with local and European elections due in 2019.
Irish mushroom producers have no choice but to focus on the UK despite Brexit, according to Monaghan Mushrooms vice chairman Paul Wilson.
Sheep farmer Eoin Kelly, from Derry, is among rural singletons hoping to find love on the new series of BBC Two's Love in the Countryside.
Increasing ewe productivity by 0.1 lambs across the EU by utilising knowledge and technology currently available could see Europe become almost 100pc self-sufficient in sheep meat, according to Teagasc Research Officer, Tim Keady.
Farm incomes across Northern Ireland are expected to fall by almost a quarter this financial year, according to the latest government estimates.
Converting existing cattle housing to accommodate an expanding sheep enterprise requires a blend of making best use of what you have, creative thinking and a knowledge of what the key housing requirements are for ewes in late pregnancy.
AGRICULTURE Minister Michael Creed warned “one slip” could be calamitous for the important live export trade.
Farmers are being confronted with a “war” on red meat, with attacks on the rise, a lobby group has warned.
The damage Brexit will do to the Irish beef sector will have a serious knock on effect on the tillage sector according to John Cullen, the Zurich Insurance/Farming Independent Tillage farmer of the year.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said he doesn’t envisage that there will be bureaucratic issues in relation to farm inspections and procurement of scales which will be part of the new BEEP scheme (Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot).
When I was growing up in the 1970s, a visit from a Department inspector meant gathering the sheep for inspection, or that a man was coming to look at your new shed, yard, or drainage project to approve it for a grant payment.
Scanning results in ewe flocks are showing a significant east-west divide as the impact of last summer's drought is reflected in this spring's lamb crop.
Domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was estimated at 253.1 million litres for December 2018, 23.2 pc above the corresponding 2017 figure.
Dairy company Fonterra on Thursday said total New Zealand milk production rose 4 percent in December from the same month a year earlier due to favourable weather.
Forecasters have warned that most part of the country will be hit by significant levels of snow from early today.
The Department of Agriculture has warned farmers considering importing ruminant animals from bluetongue (BTV) affected countries to only do so if absolutely necessary as this is the most likely route of introduction of the bluetongue virus into Ireland.
With limited rainfall in early January, I've seen the odd social media post about our daft calendar restrictions on slurry spreading whilst ground conditions are good.
Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan recently welcomed the sale of the majority of EU public stocks milk powder, however, its likely come at a significant cost to the taxpayer.
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