I farm: “200 acres of fairly good ground with my father. I have sucklers, sheep and we recently got into goats. I grow about 50 acres of tillage every year.”

Sucklers: “I have 30 pedigree Parthenaise cows. Fifteen calved in autumn and they are housed at the moment while the spring calvers are out to grass. The breeding line is strong in the herd and I was lucky that one of the cows won the replacement index award (Eurostar) this year. She has an index value of €233.”

Feeding: “We are feeding arable silage and the autumn calvers are getting some corn gluten as well to increase the protein in the diet. We find that it does a lot for the milk.”

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This week: “Depending on the weather, we are planning to get slurry out. Two or three good days would do a lot here. We were trying to get some burning off done on the tillage and getting dung out on it as well if we can.”

Sheep: “We have 150 Cheviot ewes all due to be lambing in and around the last week of March or the first week of April. We run a Cheviot ram with them for replacement ewes and Texel and Charlaois X rams for the terminals.”

Goats: “The way things are going in the beef and sheep market, I thought it was time to diversify. I began doing research and found that goats’ milk prices seem to be consistent. I bought in the first lot of kid goats there last year and I have about 100 now. I hope to start milking by next January.”

General election: “I suppose given what Fine Gael were handed they have done quite well. I’d feel the same way about Simon Coveney. He could have done better, but he is the only minister in recent times to do anything for young farmers like myself. That’s my feeling on it anyway.”

Quote: “I take great pride in my herd profile. I would never sell anything that I feel would be in any way inadequate.”