It was a good week for…

  • A Co Westmeath farmer’s wife, as ahead of her appearance on Winning Streak on Saturday night she said she plans on using her winnings to buy a new Massey Ferguson.
  • Farmers and their mental health, as a new initiative led by Macra is urging farmers to ‘make a moove’ and speak out.
  • Dairy markets, as there was another big sale of SMP out of intervention. Just under 4,000t of product remains in the measure now, down from a high of 380,000t.
  • Tillage farmers, as seven new cereal varieties have been added to the spring cereal recommended lists for 2019; four spring barley varieties, two oats and one wheat.

    • It was a bad week for…

  • Farmers and communities in Leitrim, as it emerged that almost half of Leitrim forestry premiums are issued outside of the county.
  • Over 5,000 farmers in the Green Low-carbon Agri-environmental Scheme (GLAS), as it emerged that they are still awaiting advanced payments for 2018 under the scheme.
  • Marts, as CCTV footage from marts must be deleted after a set number of days, which ICOS says leaves marts open to claims.
  • The Department of Agriculture, as 964 TAMS II approvals, worth €11.79m, expired at the end of 2018.