All the latest farming news, comments and editorial opinions from Irish Farmers Journal editor Justin McCarthy

LATEST ARTICLES
Viewpoints
Moving the goalposts is disrespectful to tillage farmers
Justin McCarthy
It is frustrating for tillage farmers to sit on combines and tractors confused as goalposts move on the specification guidelines.
10 August 2022 Viewpoints
Professors push back on carbon ceilings
While everyone welcomed the intention of the Government to create a ceiling, it is clear farmers are not clear on what will happen next.
10 August 2022 Viewpoints
Thrive open day: dairy beef risk and return
A black coat on the calf at three weeks of age is no longer enough to differentiate good potential from a much lesser potential.
Editorial: farmers deserve honesty and clarity in Government's climate plan
A so-called voluntary approach that forces change through regulation and negative subsidies must not be allowed absolve Government from the need to provide adequate funding support
3 August 2022 Viewpoints
Editorial: botched regulations provide a disincentive
Growers all over the country have geared up with cultivators and additional machine capacity to do what was necessary and now we learn that much of this capacity may not be needed.
3 August 2022 Viewpoints
Editorial: positive future for suckling and sheep if correct policies are put in place
For many farmers, the reality of what was taking place on Tullamore Farm and indeed on many farms across the country was a far cry from how their sector has been positioned within the climate debate.
27 July 2022 Viewpoints
Welcome to 60 years of CAP
When Ireland joined the EEC in 1973, the CAP had been in place for over a decade.
27 July 2022 Editorial
Editorial: farmers still waiting for clarification on stubble
Nitrates rules putting farmers under further pressure at the busiest time of the year.
27 July 2022 Viewpoints
Will Charlie throw farmers to Eamon’s wolves before heading for the hills?
Focusing the debate on food production rather than agriculture would also expose the lack of logic in reducing livestock-based food production capacity in Ireland.
25 July 2022 Viewpoints
Editorial: matching political sound bites and promises with farm reality
Promises of money from the EU for managing soil carbon stocks once EU regulation is enacted in a number of years is hard to bank when you have family commitments and loans to meet.
20 July 2022 Viewpoints
Editorial: join us for our open day on Tullamore Farm
We are opening the gates of Tullamore Farm next week to give readers a chance to meet our team and hear about the farm's performance.
20 July 2022 Viewpoints
Editorial: climate targets could see courts determine future ag policy
Allowing a legally binding target to be set for the agricultural sector that can only be achieved by dramatically reducing both farm productivity and profitability would be reckless.
13 July 2022 Viewpoints