Exports improve the mood

In October, the first load of weanlings sailed to Turkey offering some hope and respite after a shockingly difficult year on beef prices.

Irish Farmers Journal beef specialist Ciarán Lenehan managed to get on the boat and brought exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the Atlantic M vessel.

More boats followed right up until the end of December. In the region of 20,000 weanlings were shipped live to Turkey.

You watch the exclusive footage by clicking here.

The loading of cattle at Greenore Port, Co Louth. Photo: Thomas Caffrey

Rain and slurry

Despite calls from farm organisations and continued rainfall, the slurry deadline was not extended in October. Near biblical levels of rain fell in a 25-hour period in the southwest in October. Farmers were left to deal with the fallout from the rain.

Photographer Donal O'Leary visited John and Corny Buckley in Bantry, Co Cork, to survey the damage.

The rain also continued to batter and disrupt farmers in the northern half of the country. Our team was on the ground in counties Leitrim and Cavan.

Dairy and sheep farmer Des McHugh inspects waterlogged paddocks on his farm at Ballinamore, Co Leitrim. Des recorded rainfall on his farm for Met Éireann and had recorded 390.44mm between 5 June and the end of October. Photo: Jack Caffrey.

Suckler and sheep farmer Martin McLarney on his farm at Tullyboy, Kilnaleck, Cavan. Photo: Jack Caffrey.

Good news

Not wanting to get lost in the doom and gloom, there were a few positives in October too.

The Powers from Co Waterford won the 2016 NDC / Kerrygold Quality Milk Award for 2016.

There was also good life in the sheep trade in October and we captured some of the marts.

Dramatic scenes at the Elphin Sheep Mart. Photo: Brian Farrell.

It's hard to beat a good show and the National Dairy Show took place in October. Our pedigree editor Shane Murphy was there to talk cows and Donal O'Leary captured all the action.

Steve McLoughlin, Ellistown, Co Kildare, prepares a cow for showing at the National Dairy Show in Milstreet, Co Cork. Photo: Donal O'Leary.

Vegetables

Spuds were dug and pumpkins were harvested!

Steven Christie, Newtownards starting the harvest of an award-winning 30-acre crop of Maris Piper, on the outskirts of Belfast. Photo: Houston Green.

Anthony, Kevin, Peader, Peter and Joe Whyte digging potatoes at Kiltale, Co Meath, using a Grimme harvester. Photo: Ramona Farrelly.

Pictured is Julian Hughes pumpkin farmer at Kells, Co Kilkenny. Photo. Patrick Browne.

Read more

Click here to see the full series '2016 in photos'.