TOP STORIES
Sheep
Sheep Trends: hoggets at €7/kg as kill hits 67,085 head
Darren Carty
Demand for the Ramadan festival has underpinned by far the highest kill of the year, with almost 14,000 more sheep slaughtered last week.
 
 
LATEST HEADLINES
NEWS
Siobhán Walsh
Tillage Podcast: putting numbers behind Irish tillage and emissions reduction
On this week's show, we talk lowering pigmeat carbon footprint with Irish protein and look forward to Arable April with the Irish Grain Growers' Group.
Caitríona Morrissey
Italy approves bill that bans fake meat
The bill will see a ban on the production, marketing and sale of synthetic meat and other foods.
Rachel Donovan
Merchants can choose manual or automated method of inputting fertiliser records
Rachel Donovan
Minister commits to €100,000 for Land Mobility Service
Rachel Donovan
Beef farmers need to ask more questions when buying calves
SPONSORED
NCBC Dairy-Beef Series Episode 1: Eoin McDonald & Declan Butler
Welcome to the NCBC Dairy-Beef Series, brought to you by Progressive Genetics, Munster Bovine and proudly supported by ABP.
CLIMATE TARGETS
Siobhán Walsh
Guinness has plans to reduce barley farmers’ emissions by 30%
Baseline data was gathered from 44 farms over the past few months and the farmers will now work to reduce those emissions.
Stephen Robb
Making jet fuel from slurry
The challenge to decarbonise the aviation sector is great but agriculture could be about to play a pivotal role in the production of sustainable aviation fuel.
Siobhán Walsh
Guinness has plans to reduce barley farmers’ emissions by 30%
Baseline data was gathered from 44 farms over the past few months and the farmers will now work to reduce those emissions.
VIDEO HUB
MART REPORTS
Adam Woods
MartBids Database: light cattle up as grass buyers move out
Adam Woods has the latest on this week’s cattle trade, including news of what’s happening in the country’s marts.
Declan Marren
Buoyant mart trade sees throughput up 16%
Sellers continue to vote with their feet when it comes to selling stock, with more and more making best use of a positive trade in the live ring.
Declan Marren
Camera at the Mart: finishers hunt for heavy bulls
The demand for shorter-keep heavy bulls from specialist finishers helped push on the trade in Roscommon on Tuesday evening.
Declan Marren
Calf price update: higher beef calf numbers puts power in buyers' hands
Angus- and Hereford-sired calves now comprise more than 60% of all calves traded in marts, meaning buyers have more choice.
BEEF
Caitríona Morrissey
Italy approves bill that bans fake meat
Rachel Donovan
Beef farmers need to ask more questions when buying calves
Declan Marren
Buoyant mart trade sees throughput up 16%
Martin Merrick
TAMS III opens for 168 investments
FARM PROGRAMMES
DAIRY
Rachel Donovan
Beef farmers need to ask more questions when buying calves
A lot of dairy farmers are using very poor-quality Hereford and Angus sires according to Alan Dillon, co-ordinator of Teagasc's DairyBeef 500 programme.
Shanon Kinahan
Friesian bulls fly to €5,400 in Nenagh
Shanon Kinahan reports from a very successful IHFA Friesian bull sale in Nenagh Mart today where Radney Istanbul topped the sale at €5,400.
Adam Woods
Marts urge dairy farmers to keep lighter calves longer
Martin Merrick
TAMS III opens for 168 investments
SPONSORED
NCBC Dairy-Beef Series Episode 1: Eoin McDonald & Declan Butler
Welcome to the NCBC Dairy-Beef Series, brought to you by Progressive Genetics, Munster Bovine and proudly supported by ABP.
SHEEP
Amy Forde
Sheep farmers can’t take punch after punch without support - Carthy
Caitríona Morrissey
Italy approves bill that bans fake meat
Darren Carty
Hogget prices up by €3 to €5 per head
Darren Carty
Sheep Trends: hoggets at €7/kg as kill hits 67,085 head
KNOWLEDGE HUB
ANIMAL HEALTH
Adam Woods
Weather woes on Tullamore Farm
Adam Woods has the latest report from the Irish Farmers Journal beef and sheep farm.
Peter McCann
NI breeders push for export sales in Britain
The need for the six-month standstill period for Northern Ireland livestock stems from original Brexit withdrawal agreement which came into effect in January 2021.
Peter McCann
UFU rejects splash plate ban proposal
The compulsory use of low emission slurry spreading equipment on all farms in NI has been deemed “not feasible”
Amy Forde
Funding of up to €3m for new research projects available
If we want to future-proof our primary producers and agri-food sector, we need to continue investing heavily in cutting edge research, Minister Martin Heydon said.
SPONSORED
NCBC Dairy-Beef Series Episode 1: Eoin McDonald & Declan Butler
Welcome to the NCBC Dairy-Beef Series, brought to you by Progressive Genetics, Munster Bovine and proudly supported by ABP.
SPONSORED
How one beef farmer has made their life easier with Cultivate Farm Finance
Meet Hillary Courtney, a part-time beef farmer, who, like many farmers throughout Ireland, was looking at ways to improve her farm, but was hampered by access to farmer-friendly finance.
SPONSORED
Grazing off to a good start in Killorglin
The farming year has gone off to a good start on Donal Hayes's farm - the winner of the 2022 Kerry Agribusiness milk quality and sustainability award.
SPONSORED
Getting through a Quality Assurance inspection
Damien Murray, Origin Green Standards Co-Coordinator, explains what farmers need to do to be part of the Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) - A step by step guide.
For daily news, mart prices and ePaper access from 6am on Thursday, subscribe for just €1 SUBSCRIBE
AGRIBUSINESS
Phelim O'Neill
UK investigates Danish pigmeat labeling concerns
Investigation into passing off Danish pigmeat as British ongoing in UK by National Food Crime Unit.
Barry Murphy
Food companies to access Brexit grant of up to €36,000
Food companies can use government funding to bring in consultants to find and strengthen additional export markets outside the UK.
Siobhán Walsh
Grain Trends: recovering from significant drop last week
Grain markets recovered on Friday and into this week after a severe drop last week. Here’s your weekly report.
Lorcan Roche Kelly
Bank of Ireland reports a ‘significant’ rise in agri-loan applications
Bank reports a brisk start to the year for its farmer-lending product.
TILLAGE
Siobhán Walsh
Tillage Podcast: putting numbers behind Irish tillage and emissions reduction
Barry Murphy
4.5% increase in tillage area 2021-2022
Siobhán Walsh
Grain Trends: recovering from significant drop last week
Pat O'Toole
Fertiliser prices fall further
SPONSORED
Getting through a Quality Assurance inspection
Damien Murray, Origin Green Standards Co-Coordinator, explains what farmers need to do to be part of the Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) - A step by step guide.
MACHINERY
Gary Abbott
TFM to host 40-year anniversary open day on Friday
John Deere dealer, Templetuohy Farm Machinery, will host an open day this Friday at its Thurles depot from 2.30pm to 9.30pm to celebrate its 40th anniversary as John Deere dealer.
Peter Thomas Keaveney
Keenan has no plans to move production to Turkey - for now
Outsourcing production and job losses at Keenan have been all the talk. To get to grips with the story, Peter Thomas Keaveney sat down with Alltech CEO Dr Mark Lyons and Keenan CEO Robbie Walker.
Gary Abbott
Watch: Valtra celebrates 10 years of tailored tractors
This year, Valtra celebrates 10 years of its Unlimited studio. The company’s unique division for tractor customisation. Gary Abbott visited the tractor factory and studio in Suolahti to find out more.
PEDIGREE
Shanon Kinahan
What's on: pedigree sale season is ramping up
Shanon Kinahan looks ahead to another busy chapter in the pedigree sales season.
PROPERTY
Paul Mooney
198ac Glanbia farm on the market
The farm at the rear of the former cheese factory and has been leased out.
Paul Mooney
78ac in east Wicklow going for auction
The holding includes good-quality grassland and diverse woodland and it has road frontage.
Paul Mooney
100ac in Sligo for auction in lots
The farm has a number of cattle sheds and entitlements for EU payments.
BUILDINGS
Martin Merrick
TAMS III opens for 168 investments
The Department of Agriculture has opened applications for the TAMS III Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS).
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Siobhán Walsh
Guinness has plans to reduce barley farmers’ emissions by 30%
Baseline data was gathered from 44 farms over the past few months and the farmers will now work to reduce those emissions.
Barry Murphy
Rewetting science ‘lacks clarity’ for Irish farmers
International analysis without research conducted in an Irish context is not sufficient when it comes to securing buy in for rewetting proposals, say farm organisations.
RENEWABLES
Stephen Robb
Bright future for biomethane - ADBA
Chair of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association Chris Huhne believes that it is an extremely exciting time for the biomethane sector, which is poised for significant growth.
Matt Dempsey
Commissioner Timmermans under pressure
The Future of Farming annual conference took place in Brussels on Tuesday where Commissioner Timmermans repeated his views on reducing pesticides, fertiliser and imported feedstuffs for animals.
FORESTRY
Amy Forde
Forestry programme delays will have ‘serious implications’ for climate target
The Climate Action Plan has a target to plant 8,000ha per annum up to 2025.
Declan O’Brien
Foresters seek political pressure to end ash dieback ‘malaise’
Cross-party support is needed to end the ash dieback saga, the Social Economic and Environmental Forestry Association (SEEFA) has said.
NORTHERN IRELAND
David Wright
NI news: wildfires and soil training
Weekly news in-brief from across the farming and food industry in Northern Ireland.
Kieran Mailey
Beef prices edging closer to 500p/kg
Finished cattle prices continue to rise in Northern Ireland and are closing in on a significant milestone.
IRISH COUNTRY LIVING
Life
What do you buy the man who has everything? Food!
You can travel the world without ever leaving Ireland; through your taste buds, writes Maria Moynihan.
Life
Kilbrittain Tractor Run: an update for autism awareness month
Life
Welcome to a week in the country
Life
FéRí: Slow, sustainable fashion; from the farm
Life
What is the love hormone; and how does it affect men and women?
Contributor
Kate Durrant writes: tackling a different challenge during the Six Nations
Kate Durrant was celebrating the Six Nations tournament for slightly different reasons to most sports fans.
Neven Maguire
Crumbles and pies bring back great childhood memories
These kinds of recipes are often some of the first things we learn to bake as children - this is definitely true in Neven Maguire's case
Katherine O'Leary
Katherine's Country: wedding invitation is a cause for celebration
Katherine O’Leary writes that a wedding invitation is a reason to celebrate and she considers it a mini holiday. There is always the option to decline the invitation.
Janine Kennedy
Consumer: How keen are we really on sustainability?
In the first of a three-part series on Irish consumer behaviour, Janine Kennedy examines the reasons why we might not be excited over the growing number of sustainable products on the market.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo Desk
In photos: Over 400 students visit Tullamore Farm
Photo Desk
The week in pictures: slurry, focus on grass and students on farm
Photo Desk
Our favourite photos of the week feature some snowy weather
Photo Desk
This week in photos: baling, sowing and ploughing
VIEWPOINTS
One rule for cars, another for food
Jack Kennedy
Milk price cuts mean decisions need to be made
Jack Kennedy
Another part of TAMS jigsaw
Jack Kennedy
Compensation needed for ash dieback crisis
Matt Dempsey
MOST READ
 
Calls for 'exceptional financial support' for dairy farmers in eastern Europe
 
German farm minister 'optimistic' Mercosur deal can be done
 
Minister Ryan permits miners to search for Mayo gold
 
Calves set to be flown to Europe
 
My Farming Week: Kenneth Power, Mountbellew, Co Galway
 
Dairy Trends: markets stagnate as supply rises
 
Friesian females on fire in Fermoy
 
Guinness has plans to reduce barley farmers’ emissions by 30%
 
From the Tramlines: some fieldwork completed but still too wet for planting
 
Red clover silage – is it all its cracked up to be?