Young farmer views on the 2025 farming year

Laura Hannon – Dairy farmer, Co Meath

“It’s been a fantastic year, milk price has been brilliant, grass growth is tremendous this year. We’ve no complaints apart from where the milk price is going now.

“Grass has been flying all year; it’s been such an easy year. We’ve grown over 14t already and the year’s not out yet.

“It’s worrying now about the winter with where milk price is going. So, if I could change something it would be that. TB is an issue I would change.

“This year is better than others but we’ve been having trouble since 2020 and we’ve lost a lot of cows.”

Katie McCarthy – Sucklers and sheep, Co Kerry

“It’s been a good year for farming with the beef prices going up. We’re sucklers and sheep at home and selling weanlings. We sold cows last week and I think there’s a few more cull cows going that wouldn’t have normally been going.

“I suppose there’s no shortage of feed either this year, we’ve plenty silage which, normally, you’d kind of be caught and looking to buy bales but with the way the year has gone with the weather, there was no drought or anything down our side so it’s been very good to be fair.

“We’ve a few suck calves at home and we probably should have bought a few more and started selling them now and make a few more pound. I wouldn’t change too much.

“We can’t really complain. I work as an adviser in Macroom and farmers are all praising the year we’ve had.”

Andrew Naughton – Sucklers, Co Clare

“It’s been a great year. We’ve had cows out a long time and got a good graze out with everything and it’s good. Prices have been good, especially when it comes to selling cattle.

“My father was farming at home 70 years and he was over the moon last October when we sold weanlings. It was just unbelievable to get great prices last year and this year. It’s a step forward for beef farming.

“[I’d like to change the amount of] paperwork involved in [farming]. You’re looking at the SCEP scheme and the Beef Welfare Scheme and it’s more paper work than anything.

“The way it changes with the star ratings, it’s moving the goalposts in the game and it’s harder to stay in line with it and you’re seeing a lot of farmers removed from the scheme because they’re not making it.”

Seán Fanning – Dairy farmer, Co Tipperary

“Grass growth has been great. We kind of got caught in May and fed a small bit but we’re still aiming for 12.5t of grass grown this year. Calf price has been great.

“The last two months hasn’t been great with regard to milk price and that but we had a great run of it since 2022 so we can’t complain too much. Once you’re not overly borrowed, you’ll float it out.

“The one thing I’d change is the TB regulations that are coming in. It’s very strict, I find, but there’s still a lot of talking to be done on it.

“The ICBF with the EBI changes for the dairy stock, I went down €70/head in my herd. In TAMS there’s a small back log.

“I applied November last year and we’re still waiting for that to be approved.”