It's been a good week for...

  • Dairy Day attendees as it has been confirmed that John Penno is on his way from New Zealand to Punchestown for 19 November 2019.
  • Farmers looking to invest, as €75m fund is being made available from AIB under the Future Growth Loan Scheme.
  • Future Irish beef exports, as all the formalities have now been completed for the meat plants and cold stores that have been approved by the Chinese market.
  • Flynn's Tomatoes, as a five-year €14m deal with Aldi has been secured by the growers.
  • North Cork Creameries, as it won the overall national Gold Q Award at the Irish Quality Food Awards for butter made from milk supplied by its north Cork and north Kerry farmers.

    • It's been a bad week for...

  • Livestock transporters, as capacity changes to the rules on transporting calves could restrict the number of calves on lorries destined for overseas next spring.
  • Beef farmers, as beef taskforceprogress grinds to a halt in the six weeks since the publication of the Irish Beef Sector Agreement.
  • Landowners, as more than 200,000ha of farmers’ land in Ireland is ruled out of farm payments by EU regulations.
  • Quad bike owners, as there has been a spate of quad bike thefts in recent weeks.

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    Sheep management: CODD, budgeting autumn grass supplies, and scanning

    My farming week: John Casey, Hollymount, Co Mayo.