• After revelations that several meat companies in Brazil have been selling meat unfit for consumption both at home and internationally, China has temporarily banned meat from Brazil, while Irish farming organisations have asked the EU to ban all Brazilian meat imports with immediate effect.
  • In milk price news, the board of Aurivo has increased its base price in the Republic and held it in Northern Ireland.

  • Nearly 16,000 chickens died in a huge blaze that broke out last Sunday at a poultry farm on the outskirts of Carlisle in northwest England.

  • The UK government has formally set the date of 29 March to invoke Article 50 of the European treaty, which will mark the start of its separation process from the EU.
  • And calf numbers were back about 300 head on last week’s peak sale, with 1,680 on offer in Bandon this week.

    • Photo of the day courtesy of the Irish Farmers Journal picture desk

    Alan Dempsey of Minch Malt, Athy, Co Kildare.