1. Dog walkers to be refused access to farmland under nationwide ban

In February, the IFA announced that a nationwide ban was being rolled out by farmers, refusing dog walkers access to their land over livestock worrying fears.

IFA sheep chair Seán Dennehy said that farmers whose livestock are under threat from dog attacks had no choice but to impose the ban.

He also said the IFA had received reports of farmers "encountering verbal abuse and intimidation" when they reminded dog owners of their responsibilities and the dangers of letting pets off the lead.

You can read the full story here.

2. Meath farmer discovers 6,200 unaccounted hours on new tractor

Last May, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that a Meath farmer had discovered that his new tractor had an additional 6,200 hours of work done than what was actually recorded on the clock.

Gerry Victory’s New Holland T6010 read that there was 6,300 hours on the clock, however it was discovered to have actually done 12,500 hours when the electronic control unit was read by a mechanic.

He had bought the 2008 tractor for €38,000 on finance and warned other farmers to be cautious when buying second hand.

For the full story, read here.

3. Sixty cattle detained by Department of Agriculture

Sixty cattle that presented for slaughter at a beef factory in the Republic of Ireland at the end of February were detained by the Department of Agriculture after they did not satisfy routine pre-slaughter checks.

The cattle were slaughtered the day after they presented and the carcases were detained in cold storage pending an investigation.

You can read the story here.

4. Watch: who will be left carrying the baby when nitrogen prices fall?

One of the Irish Farmers Journal’s Tech Talk proved to be very popular with readers this year, especially in the context of fertiliser prices.

Deputy editor Jack Kennedy spoke to Grassland Agro managing director Liam Woulfe about why nitrogen prices were reaching new heights.

Woulfe, who has been in the fertiliser business for 20 years, said he has never seen the geopolitical influence on the fertiliser market be so important.

Read the full story and watch the video here.

5. Department investigating after 270 calves found dead on farm

An investigation was launched by the Department of Agriculture in April after 270 dead calves were found on a Galway farm, mostly dairy breeds.

The majority of the calves were bought in to the farm. Gardaí were not investigating the incident.

You can read that story here.

6. WR Shaw served with notice of termination by New Holland

In March, midlands-based New Holland dealership WR Shaw Ltd was served with a notice of termination by New Holland.

Shaw was Ireland’s best-known New Holland dealer and the notice brought an end to a 37-year relationship between New Holland and the Offaly business.

Read the full story here.

7. Farmer tells of heartbreak after farm transferred to brother

A listener to RTÉ’s Ryan Tubridy Show wrote into the programme earlier this year, describing the pain he experienced after his family farm was left to his brother.

"My parents felt that the farm was not big enough for two brothers to make a good living. So, after much fighting and tears, I was forced against my will to move away to go to college and get a job.

"I have never gotten over this. It has haunted me all my life," he said.

You can read the full story here.

8. The rules and regulations involved in towing explained

Are you up to speed with the current rules and regulations when it comes to towing a trailer?

The machinery team, comprised of Gary Abbott and Peter Thomas Keaveney, looked at the licencing, weights and rules involved.

Read the full story here.

9. Dairy farmer plagued by trespassers claiming to be lamping rabbits

In November, Rachel Donovan reported on a dairy farmer in Carlow who was being woken at all hours of the night by trespassers on her land.

The trespassers claimed they were lamping rabbits on different occasions. Ashleigh Fennell took notes of all the incidents and reported them to local gardaí.

Read the full story here.

10. Brand new harvester and 30ac of winter barley destroyed in blaze

In July, a brand new combine harvester and 30ac of winter barley were destroyed in a blaze during harvesting in Meath.

Tom Lawlor was harvesting the barley in his Claas Lexion 6600 and noticed the fire was coming from the front axle of the combine.

Only for the swift action of his neighbours, he said the damage could have been a lot worse.

You can read that story here.