There were political developments in France and the US this week – and both have the potential to have an impact on Irish farmers.

As Thomas Hubert reports, Emmanuel Macron is tipped to win the French election. He will bring much more stability than his rival candidate, Marine Le Pen of the National Front party, he is pro-free trade and a vocal supporter of the CETA free trade agreement between the EU and Canada.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the appointment of Sonny Perdue as secretary for agriculture is also likely to bring a shift in the US approach to free trade and possibly even reignite TTIP negotiations with the EU.