January
Inspections and audits were in the spotlight during the first month of the year. It was reported farmers would be subject to increased inspections via satellite.
Towards the end of the month, news broke that farmers were to experience significantly more onerous farm audits from 2024, with new animal welfare checks to be introduced.
Early warning signs were present on milk price. Bord Bia dairy specialist Liam McCabe told the Positive Farming Conference: “There are more headwinds than tailwinds in terms of supply and demand principals.”
It was also announced by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue in early January that plans for a suckler cull scheme were off the table.
February
The mart trade got off to a flying start at the beginning of the year. “Skyrocketing” beef prices had been reported in January. In the first two weeks of February, the mart trade ramped up further. By the second week of February, mart prices were up €200/head.
TAMS III opened. There was outrage over the Department of Agriculture excluding dribble bars from grant aid.
Milk price dropped significantly in 2023.
It was revealed that fertiliser suppliers reaped windfall profits on the back of 2022’s unprecedented hike in farmgate prices.
Milk price drops of up to 6c/l were announced for January.
March
It was announced that all of the 46,000 valid Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (ACRES) applications received would be accepted. Higher payments of over €10,000 in the co-operation stream were earmarked to be paid this year, which we now know never came to fruition for many in 2023.
Milk prices continued to drop. February milk prices were down by a further 6c/l.
Farmers received higher than expected Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) payment rates. The payment was hiked from 10 to 22 cows in the herd. SCEP would hit the headlines later in the year again, with less favourable news.
It was revealed there were imminent plans for calves to be exported to the continent via airplane.
These plans were subsequently shelved in April.
The Department of Agriculture proposed new payment dates for the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) schemes from this year. ANC and BISS were pushed back a month and a week respectively.
April
It was revealed that three dairy farm planning applications were appealed to An Bord Pleanála by well-known environmental campaigner Peter Sweetman.
The French lairage in Pignet, which thousands of calves move through, reopened having been closed due to a suspected breach of animal welfare standards.
Wet conditions meant farmers were unable to turn out stock or had to rehouse animals, increasing feed costs significantly.
Grain prices were down. Weanlings were up €200/head as exporter appetite increased.
Milk price continued to drop, hovering around the 40c/l mark for March.
Macra members arrive at the Dáil following a 79km walk from Athy in Co Kildare. \ Claire Nash
Macra members marched from Athy, Co Kildare, to Dublin demanding Government overhaul its rural policy, including the establishment of a farm retirement scheme.
May
By early May, potato and maize planting were severely delayed. It was estimated at the time that only 40% of potatoes were planted. Mart prices for lambs rose €3 to €10/head.
A massive price gap of €247/head opened up between cattle slaughtered in the north and south, with the prices in Northern Ireland surging ahead.
It was revealed that remapping of the farmland affected by the new CAP rules protecting peatlands and wetlands from 2024 was taking place by the Department of Agriculture.
June
The world’s first genotyping cattle tagging scheme opened in Ireland this month for farmer applications. Year one targeted 800,000 cattle.
Rewetting was prominent in the news throughout June, with many takes on the topic.
With prolonged dry weather, drought conditions began to bite on farms. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue ordered a national fodder survey.
A special taskforce was setup to examine the feasibility of a dairy cow cull.
July
The reduction of the nitrates derogation to 220kg organic N/ha first hit the news in July, following the midterm review of the Nitrates Action Programme, a story that would dominate much of the rest of 2023.
The year 2022 was chosen as the reference year for the Women Farming Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS) under TAMS III.
Women who became or will become involved in a farming enterprise after 2022 were not be able to avail of the 60% grant unless they hold a relevant agricultural qualification.
Heavy rain later in the month impacted the harvest, making it difficult for farmers to get work done.
Following an RTÉ Investigates programme into breaches of animal welfare around calves at marts and during export, the Department of Agriculture launched an investigation.
MEPs voted to scrap the peatland rewetting targets in the EU’s Nature Restoration Law.
August
The harvest worsened for tillage farmers into August, with the weather wreaking havoc on their crops.
The announcement that tillage farmers would be paid €28/ha in crisis reserve funding was met with anger. \ Lorraine O'Sullivan
There was shock at the introduction of an IBR testing rule to the new National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS). It was revealed it would pay suckler farmers €35/cow up to a maximum of 40 cows to meal feed calves and €15/head to test animals for IBR.
New carbon farming legislation received the green light from the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, clearing the first political hurdle for farmers to be paid for the carbon they capture and store on their farms.
September
The derogation cut was confirmed at the beginning of September.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) protested at the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael think-ins to highlight farmer anger towards the cut.
It was announced that ACRES would reopen for applicants in mid-October.
The number that would be accepted in tranche two of the scheme remained unclear. This was later confirmed at 4,000 places.
The Netherlands voted to ban the importation of calves, the timeline for which was not outlined.
Dawn Meats acquired Kildare Chilling after the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) approved the deal.
October
The announcement that tillage farmers would be paid €28/ha in crisis reserve funding was met with anger.
The derogation map confirming which areas of the country would be subject to the new 220kg N/ha limit was confirmed.
Budget 2024 provided an extra €8/ewe payment for sheep farmers, €57m in extra funding for organics, a payment of €200/suckler cow was maintained, an €8m fund for tillage farmers and 70% TAMS funding for slurry storage.
Hustings for the IFA presidential and deputy presidential elections began around the country. Francie Gorman and Martin Stapleton ran for president. Alice Doyle and Pat Murphy contested the deputy election.
There was farmer anger this year over changes to the ICBF indexes. \ Alfie Shaw
The revision of the Irish Cattle and Beef Federation’s (ICBF) beef replacement and terminal indexes saw traditional breeds rocket up the rankings at the expense of continental breeds, a move which would see huge backlash from suckler farmers.
November
Fieldwork ground to a halt and cattle were housed around the country at the start of the month, following a deluge of rain.
More stringent controls on the movement, sale and export of young calves were tabled by Department officials at a meeting of the Calf Stakeholder Forum.
A six-month delay to the nitrates cut was mooted. It ultimately never came to pass following a meeting between An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and European Commissioner for Environment Virginijust Sinkevicius. Irish beef was locked out of China once again following a case of atypical BSE was discovered in a 10-year-old cow.
A case of bluetongue identified in a cow in England sparked a ban on cattle, sheep and other ruminants moving to the island of Ireland.
December
A delay was announced to 18,600 ACRES payments in the co-operation stream of the scheme.
The payments, which were expected to hit farmer accounts before Christmas, were pushed back to February 2024.
It was confirmed later in the month that ACRES is oversubscribed with over 5,000 farmers likely to miss out on a place.
Farmer fury over changes to the ICBF indexes and the implications of those changes for farmers enrolled in the SCEP scheme continued this month, with potential changes on the cards closer to Christmas.
Francie Gorman was elected IFA president and Alice Doyle was elected deputy president, becoming the first even woman to hold the post.
Over 20,000 postal votes were received by the IFA, following its introduction as a voting method.
Denis Drennan was elected unopposed as the new president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA).
The dispute between knackeries and renderers over hikes in rendering costs escalated.
Knackery operators cut back on animal collections.
A temporary solution was reached following intervention from the Department, with collections resuming.
Teagasc forecast that the average farm income is to rise by 30% in 2024.
A special taskforce was set up to examine the feasibility of a dairy cow cull. \ Philip Doyle
January
Inspections and audits were in the spotlight during the first month of the year. It was reported farmers would be subject to increased inspections via satellite.
Towards the end of the month, news broke that farmers were to experience significantly more onerous farm audits from 2024, with new animal welfare checks to be introduced.
Early warning signs were present on milk price. Bord Bia dairy specialist Liam McCabe told the Positive Farming Conference: “There are more headwinds than tailwinds in terms of supply and demand principals.”
It was also announced by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue in early January that plans for a suckler cull scheme were off the table.
February
The mart trade got off to a flying start at the beginning of the year. “Skyrocketing” beef prices had been reported in January. In the first two weeks of February, the mart trade ramped up further. By the second week of February, mart prices were up €200/head.
TAMS III opened. There was outrage over the Department of Agriculture excluding dribble bars from grant aid.
Milk price dropped significantly in 2023.
It was revealed that fertiliser suppliers reaped windfall profits on the back of 2022’s unprecedented hike in farmgate prices.
Milk price drops of up to 6c/l were announced for January.
March
It was announced that all of the 46,000 valid Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (ACRES) applications received would be accepted. Higher payments of over €10,000 in the co-operation stream were earmarked to be paid this year, which we now know never came to fruition for many in 2023.
Milk prices continued to drop. February milk prices were down by a further 6c/l.
Farmers received higher than expected Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) payment rates. The payment was hiked from 10 to 22 cows in the herd. SCEP would hit the headlines later in the year again, with less favourable news.
It was revealed there were imminent plans for calves to be exported to the continent via airplane.
These plans were subsequently shelved in April.
The Department of Agriculture proposed new payment dates for the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) schemes from this year. ANC and BISS were pushed back a month and a week respectively.
April
It was revealed that three dairy farm planning applications were appealed to An Bord Pleanála by well-known environmental campaigner Peter Sweetman.
The French lairage in Pignet, which thousands of calves move through, reopened having been closed due to a suspected breach of animal welfare standards.
Wet conditions meant farmers were unable to turn out stock or had to rehouse animals, increasing feed costs significantly.
Grain prices were down. Weanlings were up €200/head as exporter appetite increased.
Milk price continued to drop, hovering around the 40c/l mark for March.
Macra members arrive at the Dáil following a 79km walk from Athy in Co Kildare. \ Claire Nash
Macra members marched from Athy, Co Kildare, to Dublin demanding Government overhaul its rural policy, including the establishment of a farm retirement scheme.
May
By early May, potato and maize planting were severely delayed. It was estimated at the time that only 40% of potatoes were planted. Mart prices for lambs rose €3 to €10/head.
A massive price gap of €247/head opened up between cattle slaughtered in the north and south, with the prices in Northern Ireland surging ahead.
It was revealed that remapping of the farmland affected by the new CAP rules protecting peatlands and wetlands from 2024 was taking place by the Department of Agriculture.
June
The world’s first genotyping cattle tagging scheme opened in Ireland this month for farmer applications. Year one targeted 800,000 cattle.
Rewetting was prominent in the news throughout June, with many takes on the topic.
With prolonged dry weather, drought conditions began to bite on farms. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue ordered a national fodder survey.
A special taskforce was setup to examine the feasibility of a dairy cow cull.
July
The reduction of the nitrates derogation to 220kg organic N/ha first hit the news in July, following the midterm review of the Nitrates Action Programme, a story that would dominate much of the rest of 2023.
The year 2022 was chosen as the reference year for the Women Farming Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS) under TAMS III.
Women who became or will become involved in a farming enterprise after 2022 were not be able to avail of the 60% grant unless they hold a relevant agricultural qualification.
Heavy rain later in the month impacted the harvest, making it difficult for farmers to get work done.
Following an RTÉ Investigates programme into breaches of animal welfare around calves at marts and during export, the Department of Agriculture launched an investigation.
MEPs voted to scrap the peatland rewetting targets in the EU’s Nature Restoration Law.
August
The harvest worsened for tillage farmers into August, with the weather wreaking havoc on their crops.
The announcement that tillage farmers would be paid €28/ha in crisis reserve funding was met with anger. \ Lorraine O'Sullivan
There was shock at the introduction of an IBR testing rule to the new National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS). It was revealed it would pay suckler farmers €35/cow up to a maximum of 40 cows to meal feed calves and €15/head to test animals for IBR.
New carbon farming legislation received the green light from the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, clearing the first political hurdle for farmers to be paid for the carbon they capture and store on their farms.
September
The derogation cut was confirmed at the beginning of September.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) protested at the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael think-ins to highlight farmer anger towards the cut.
It was announced that ACRES would reopen for applicants in mid-October.
The number that would be accepted in tranche two of the scheme remained unclear. This was later confirmed at 4,000 places.
The Netherlands voted to ban the importation of calves, the timeline for which was not outlined.
Dawn Meats acquired Kildare Chilling after the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) approved the deal.
October
The announcement that tillage farmers would be paid €28/ha in crisis reserve funding was met with anger.
The derogation map confirming which areas of the country would be subject to the new 220kg N/ha limit was confirmed.
Budget 2024 provided an extra €8/ewe payment for sheep farmers, €57m in extra funding for organics, a payment of €200/suckler cow was maintained, an €8m fund for tillage farmers and 70% TAMS funding for slurry storage.
Hustings for the IFA presidential and deputy presidential elections began around the country. Francie Gorman and Martin Stapleton ran for president. Alice Doyle and Pat Murphy contested the deputy election.
There was farmer anger this year over changes to the ICBF indexes. \ Alfie Shaw
The revision of the Irish Cattle and Beef Federation’s (ICBF) beef replacement and terminal indexes saw traditional breeds rocket up the rankings at the expense of continental breeds, a move which would see huge backlash from suckler farmers.
November
Fieldwork ground to a halt and cattle were housed around the country at the start of the month, following a deluge of rain.
More stringent controls on the movement, sale and export of young calves were tabled by Department officials at a meeting of the Calf Stakeholder Forum.
A six-month delay to the nitrates cut was mooted. It ultimately never came to pass following a meeting between An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and European Commissioner for Environment Virginijust Sinkevicius. Irish beef was locked out of China once again following a case of atypical BSE was discovered in a 10-year-old cow.
A case of bluetongue identified in a cow in England sparked a ban on cattle, sheep and other ruminants moving to the island of Ireland.
December
A delay was announced to 18,600 ACRES payments in the co-operation stream of the scheme.
The payments, which were expected to hit farmer accounts before Christmas, were pushed back to February 2024.
It was confirmed later in the month that ACRES is oversubscribed with over 5,000 farmers likely to miss out on a place.
Farmer fury over changes to the ICBF indexes and the implications of those changes for farmers enrolled in the SCEP scheme continued this month, with potential changes on the cards closer to Christmas.
Francie Gorman was elected IFA president and Alice Doyle was elected deputy president, becoming the first even woman to hold the post.
Over 20,000 postal votes were received by the IFA, following its introduction as a voting method.
Denis Drennan was elected unopposed as the new president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA).
The dispute between knackeries and renderers over hikes in rendering costs escalated.
Knackery operators cut back on animal collections.
A temporary solution was reached following intervention from the Department, with collections resuming.
Teagasc forecast that the average farm income is to rise by 30% in 2024.
A special taskforce was set up to examine the feasibility of a dairy cow cull. \ Philip Doyle
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