It was a good week for...

  • Dairy markets, as over 1,700t of SMP was sold out of intervention and dairy prices increased by 0.9% at Tuesday's Global Dairy Trade auction.
  • Dairy farmers, with the majority of processors holding their prices for January manufacturing supplies of milk.
  • Farmers, as the European Commission announced its first step in helping them deal with Brexit would be an increase in the state aid limit.
  • It was a bad week for...

  • Farmers with livestock in Donegal, as one vet clinic is charging a €500 call-out fee to tend to animals.
  • Beef farmers, as it was revealed that under a no-deal Brexit, Irish beef could be competing with Brazilian beef on UK shop shelves.
  • Calf exports, as two boats which can bring calves to France will not run on alternate days and this looks set to cause a bottleneck at Cherbourg, due to lairage issues.
  • Sheep farmers, as while sheep EID tagging will be compulsory for farmers from 1 June, it is possible not all marts and factories will have systems in place to utilise the technology.
  • Farmers in the North, as proposals for stricter rules on slurry spreading and chemical fertiliser applications were published by DAERA.