
Four agri-food sites named by EPA as 'priority sites for enforcement'
Seven industrial sites named on EPA’s latest National Priority Sites List for Enforcement, including four agri-food companies.
Seven industrial sites named on EPA’s latest National Priority Sites List for Enforcement, including four agri-food companies.
AN opposition motion has been passed in the Dail to deliver a ‘ hardship fund’ and meal voucher scheme to help smaller farmers severely impacted by the crisis.
Sharp differences have emerged between the ICMSA and IFA regarding base milk price cuts announced by Glanbia, Lakeland Dairies and LacPatrick.
Cutting energy costs by 40pc on farms is "absolutely realistic" by following some simple steps and using readily available products, according to a Teagasc researcher.
Northern Ireland's Dale Farm says it's interested in rival LacPatrick, which revealed on Wednesday that it was examining "strategic options" understood to include a merger or sale of the business.
One of the biggest dairy co-ops in the Border region is in talks with as many as three potential merger partners.
Farmers are calling for action as they are being invaded by hungry deer coming down off the mountains due to the long hard winter.
Irish beef exporters are gearing up to access potentially lucrative contracts in the vast Asian marketplace of China after shipments were finally green-lit.
Demand for meat in China has quadrupled over the last 30 years. However, beef consumption would be considered relatively low at 4kg per person per year, compared to 19kg per person in Ireland.
Restricted access to penning areas at marts looks set to become the "new norm", as marts in the north-west of the country lead the way in bringing in new health and safety measures.
A €100m export market for frozen Irish beef in China may be just the tip of the iceberg as consumption is growing rapidly among the expanding Asian middle class.
"Fast" tractors that are being used for agricultural activities will be excluded from new regulations, introducing an NCT for vehicles that can travel...
BANKS and credit institutions have been urged to take an understanding and reasonable approach to farm loans and overdrafts.
Lakeland Dairies has cut its March milk price by 2.5c/L, but announced that it will "balance a reduction in the March milk price with a payment to support milk producers during the current very poor milk production conditions caused by bad weather and the fodder crisis".
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has admitted that "lessons" will have to be learned from the fodder crisis gripping the country, but denied it was time to "dismantle" the ambitious plans to grow the multi-billion euro agri-sector.
Valuable infant formula and on-trend nutritional products will be key growth targets for Lakeland Dairies as it aims to hit annual revenues of more than €1bn by 2021.
Infant milk formulas and health-related nutritional products are key growth targets for north-western milk processor Lakeland Dairies as it recorded a 28pc surge in revenue to over €769m.
INFANT milk formulas and health-related nutritional products are key growth targets for north-western milk processor Lakeland Dairies as it recorded a 28pc surge in revenue to over €769m.
Farmers are facing a 'double whammy' from weather woes as costs surge due to fodder bills while milk collections slump.
Reseeding has long been touted as one of the most cost effective on-farm investments, with payback expected within two years.
Ongoing delays in issuing genotyping tags for the BDGP scheme are causing major problems for suckler farmers, it has been warned.
"Our national journey out of the EU is almost over - and a glorious view awaits." As the clock ticks towards Brexit that is the worldview of the UK's foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
Road safety bosses will take a "pragmatic" approach to lorry drivers' hours as they deliver fodder to stricken farmers.
Vets are encountering a big increase in animal health problems on farms with a rise in mastitis, milk fever, viral pneumonia and joint-ill being reported.
Attempts by local authorities to hit farmland with the 'vacant' site levy are completely unacceptable, it has been warned.
The sight of an empty silage pit is something no farmer wants to see when there is little or no grass in the waterlogged fields.
Government moves to alleviate the escalating fodder crisis have been blasted as “too little, too late” by under-pressure farmers.
Efforts must be doubled to increase the market for Irish organic beef and lamb, it has been urged.
Dairygold is pressing ahead on its "Brexit-proofing strategy", with a decision expected on planning permission for a new Jarlsberg cheese plant within weeks.
A forage register to connect feed buyers and sellers is being established by Teagasc as a fodder crisis looms in Munster and south Leinster.
Farm organisations have slammed reports that millers and feed merchants are considering a €20-25/t price hike on compound feed rations.
It is a spring that will stick in the memories of farmers for a long time to come.
There is still a margin to be made in calf to beef systems, but planning and efficient operations remain key as Pat Bowden can testify. It has been a hectic three years for the Kilkenny farmer, who has switched over from sucklers to rearing Friesian steers from the dairy herds under the guidance of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme.
There is mounting concern over the potential fodder shortages, with many parts of the south and south-east now feeling the pinch.
Most families sitting down to the traditional leg of lamb for Easter dinner will be tucking into hogget rather than spring lamb.
A team of 11 bulls will be used in a new sexed semen trial to assess its fertility compared with conventional straws during the new breeding season.
Former IFA president Eddie Downey is understood to be in discussions with the association over his plan to address a National Council meeting.
FARMERS are calling for Member States to step up by putting more into the EU Budget to make up any shortfall in CAP due to Brexit.
Meat processors are seeking a massive 2,000 permits for workers from outside the EU to counter what they describe as a "critical" shortage of labour.
The Irish Dairy industry needs to move towards delivering produce free from genetically modified feedstuffs to consolidate its presence in key markets, a top dairy executive has warned
One in every 10 hectares of land is now planted in forestry, according to the latest figures.
CLOSE to 20 Donegal tillage farmers have expressed an interest in growing malting barley for Boortmalt this year.
A cramble to buy quality suckler replacement stock kicked off this week after the Department of Agriculture informed hundreds of farmers their herds would not meet required breeding standards.
Establishing a national CAP position that represents the differing regional views and aspirations of farmers will be a major challenge, admitted Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.
Farmers will have to wait for the final balancing payment for GLAS until mid-summer, it has emerged.
Glanbia Ireland was first out of the blocks to cut the milk price for February, amid warnings of an oversupply in the marketplace.
The "sobering challenge" posed by Brexit to the Irish economy was highlighted yesterday when the boss of Glanbia Ireland outlined a dramatic fall-off in the incomes of dairy farmers.
Farmers who suffered significant damage to polytunnels due to Storm Emma may be able to avail of a capital grants scheme to help ease losses.
The Government has confirmed Enterprise Ireland support towards Glanbia Ireland’s plans to invest over €160m in its site at Belview, Co Kilkenny.
AGRICULTURE Minister Michael Creed warned sustainability was now a key demand from buyers of dairy produce around the world.
The IFA has warned that early lamb producers will need a base price of more than €7/kg to cover the increased costs of the enterprise.
Record milk collections over the last three days have prevented serious losses on dairy farms, as hauliers battled severe weather conditions to access farmyards.
Farmers were battling the aftermath of Storm Emma this week as the full costs of the Siberian cold snap were calculated.
Hill sheep farmers will be counting losses from their flocks due to the major snowfall in the coming days.
Pat Smith's final settlement of €1,900,000 with the IFA is more like a telephone number than a tangible sum for most of us.
Farmers are battling massive snowdrifts across the country, as dairy farmers face major pressures in getting milk collected in treacherous conditions.
What can be done along the western seaboard to try and stem the flow of people leaving farming? That was the question posed by Joe Scahill to farmers gathered for the Teagasc Hill Sheep Conference in Co Mayo.
Farmers have described conditions as "difficult and challenging", with some dairy farmers struggling to keep water supplies flowing in milking parlours.
The Irish Farmers' Association will be forced to dip into its special reserve fund to pay a settlement to former general secretary Pat Smith. The final cost is expected to be in excess of €2m including legal fees.
The clean livestock policy is important to all operators in the sheep sector as part of the "green and clean" marketing drive to access US and Chinese markets.
Mart Co-Op boards are considering a series of recommendations drawn up to help reduce accident risk levels and lower insurance premiums.
Commenting on the settlement today in the High Court of litigation brought against the Irish Farmers’ Association, Mr. Pat Smith said that he and his family are pleased that matters with his former employers, the Irish Farmers’ Association, have been settled.
The former General Secretary of the IFA Pat Smith has settled his legal actions against IFA today, outside the High Court.
Larry Goodman's ABP has secured the first contract to supply Irish beef to China, ahead of the widely-anticipated opening up of the huge Asian market.
Larry Goodman's ABP has secured the first contract to supply Irish beef to China, ahead of the widely-anticipated opening up of the huge Asian market.
A new quality assurance scheme is being devised by Bord Bia for the country's marts.
Larry Goodman's ABP has secured the first contract to supply Irish beef to China, ahead of the widely-anticipated opening up of the huge Asian market.
NO completed applications for the new fodder transport support scheme have been lodged with the Agriculture Department so far.
Delays in getting cows out on grass is costing dairy farmers dearly in terms of extra feeding and general herd management.
Selling calves under 10 days old will be banned under new animal welfare measures being prepared by the Department of Agriculture.
DISCOUNT retailer Lidl is on track to export €300m of Irish produce by 2020, with strong growth in demand for craft beers, cream liquor and grass-fed beef.
On a bitterly cold February afternoon, that 'perfect day' looked a distant thought as a crowd of students from Kildalton joined the local sheep farmers in the walk across Rory O'Donnell's 66ha grassland farm at Clashwilliam, outside Gowran, Co Kilkenny.
Question marks have been raised over how far the €1bn rural regeneration fund would stretch given the massive need for investment.
There was a simple message for sheep farmers at the first Grass10 walk of the season on Rory O'Donnell's 66ha grassland farm at Clashwilliam, outside Gowran, Co Kilkenny. - don't wait for that elusive 'perfect day' to get the fertiliser spreaders out.
Restrictions for planning permission for homes in the countryside look set to be loosened as part of the National Development Plan’s drive for rural rejuvenation.
FOUR new Luas lines feature in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's €116bn masterplan for the future of Ireland.
Farmers have faced delays in getting licence approvals for tree plantations due to a failure by the Department of Agriculture to put a forestry appeals committee in place until recently, it has emerged.
Farmers and less affluent regions face swingeing cuts in EU subsidies post-Brexit unless the bloc can raise fresh cash.
A deal with a new malting barley buyer that will deliver a "top-up" to suppliers is being thrashed out, according to the Irish Grain Growers Association.
THE IFA has taken issue with fertiliser industry claims that the €40-70/t price hike introduced this season was the result of reduced global product supplies and higher manufacturing charges.
Irish home-grown grain must be marketed in a more "aggressive" fashion than in the past with the tillage sector facing major difficulties, it has been warned.
HILL and severely marginalised farmers are set to receive a bigger slice of the extra €25m allocated to the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme.
Contractors are battling atrocious weather this week to get slurry spread for hard-pressed farmers.
Dairy farmers with low DMD silage face increased cow health and fertility problems this spring unless they are willing to feed higher levels of concentrates.
Concerns have been raised over the additional costs on farmers amid moves to make electronic tagging of cattle compulsory.
A €200/hd direct payment for the suckler cow herd would not be a "wise use of national resources" according to agri-sector economist Professor Alan Matthews.
Forestry Minister Andrew Doyle has challenged Coillte to undo the "damage" done to the confidence of farmers and other potential tree growers.
A REPLACEMENT SHIP to carry live exports to the Continent has gotten the green light.
Farmers cannot be “green” if they are in the “red” all the time came the warning as the future of Ireland’s payments from Brussels were up for discussion.
Irish home-grown grain must be marketed in a more "aggressive" fashion with the tillage sector facing major difficulties, it has been warned.
Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has been urged to force a rethink on the "sell-out" of beef farmers amid moves to close a trade deal with the South American Mercosur countries.
Irish home-grown grain must be marketed in a more “aggressive” fashion than in the past with the tillage sector facing major difficulties, it has been warned.
THE approval of a suitable ship to carry calf transport trucks to the Continent is still awaiting approval.
The Irish Government is upping the ante on its opposition to an agreement that could grant Brazil and Argentina increased access into the EU's prime beef market.
Farmers have warned they must not be caught up in red tape as they avail of the new transport subsidy for fodder-stricken areas in the west and north-west.
The Minister for Agriculture has announced details of the transport subsidy for fodder being hauled to the north west.
Dairy farmers have been warned against complacency as a new report sets out a strategy to tackle the national dairy herds' carbon footprint.
A major hike in compound feed sales has been reported by mills and co-ops, with the tonnages bought by farmers increasing by up to 20pc in some areas.
Farmers are facing a clean sheep clampdown in the factories this week, with reports of some plants turning away dirty animals.
Huge flocks of pigeons that have turned to grazing oilseed rape crops in recent weeks are prompting serious concerns among tillage farmers.
The public will be asked to give their opinions on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as farmers fear up to defend their slice of the monies.
At least 45 cattle herds have been locked up following numerous positive tests for tuberculosis.
With the slurry spreading season kicking off, contractors at the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors' (FCI) conference in Co Dublin gave their views on the issues that lie ahead.
A new sugar factory delivering jobs to rural areas would be capable of attracting the funding necessary for a multimillion euro revival of the industry, it has been claimed.
A big hike in fertiliser prices this spring could cost farmers over €36m.
Irish organic steaks will be found on more shop shelves in Hong Kong, as appetites for premium beef cuts increase.
Irish beef, sheep and tillage farmers will go out of business unless strong subsidies from Brussels continue, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president has warned.
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar drew on his 'funny' name and farming relations when addressing the IFA AGM in Dublin today, and said that as a champion for the self-employed and people who get up early in the morning and nobody gets up earlier than the Irish farmer.
This year will be a defining year for farming, the IFA President Joe Healy has told the Association's AGM in Dublin today, who said that farmers are not getting a fair share for their produce and retailers are the modern-day dictators abusing their power to accumulate vast profits.
Tillage farmers have been urged to consider growing sugar beet as a push gets underway to revive the industry with a new processing factory.
Irish factories hit a 10-year high in the throughput in sheepmeat, with 2.9 million animals processed.
Irish farming is in danger of being left behind its European counterparts because of poor or non-existent high-speed broadband, contractors have warned.
An alternative live export ship to replace the Stena Line vessel Horizon is due to be inspected by officials this week.