It was a good week for

  • Corkman Liam Herlihy, as the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed appointed him as the new chair of the Teagasc Authority for a five-year term.
  • Farmers worried about Brexit, as An Tánaiste Simon Coveney is clear that protecting farmers is a top priority as Brexit negotiations near crunch time.
  • GLAS farmers, as the hoped-for GLAS concessions to allow farmers harvest crops from low-input permanent pasture and fallow land were secured.
  • ANC farmers, as rates under the scheme will increase this year due to the additional €25m in funding that was added last year.
  • It was a bad week for

  • Several sheep farmers, after a number of lambs were turned away from the factory after they were deemed to be unfit for slaughter because fleeces were in poor condition.
  • The Newford suckler herd, as it is set to make a loss of €100 to €150/cow in 2018 before land rent and labour are paid.
  • Farm safety, after it emerged that a campaign of 406 Health and Safety Authority inspections focusing on machinery in May found non-compliance on most farms visited.
  • Farmers in Northern Ireland, as the number of farmers in NI that had penalties applied to area-based payments following a land eligibility inspection more than doubled in 2017.