Aidan O’Driscoll is the Department of Agriculture’s new secretary general

On Thursday last week Corkman Aidan O‘Driscoll became the 13th secretary general at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. But how much do we really know about the new man in charge of Irish agriculture? Patrick Donohoe goes in search of the man in a profile he wrote for the paper this week.

Has your farm been damaged by the destruction wreaked by Storm Rachel?

On Wednesday Met Éireann raised its weather alert to red to warn people about the impending arrival of Storm Rachel to our shores. By Thursday morning 16,000 homes around the country had been left without power and it’s likely that much damage was caused to farms also. In this article Paul Mooney gives some guidelines on what to do in case any damage has occurred.

Beef prices are on the rise

In this week’s lead story, Patrick Donohoe examines the forecast for beef in 2015. With less cattle for processing and beef prices strengthening on both sides of the border, this year is certainly looking a lot better than 2014. To read more predictions for 2015, which include an expected reduction in beef production and a strong live export trade, click here.

Grass-based dairying is the way forward

In one of his editorials this week, Editor-in-chief Justin McCarthy examines the issues raised at this year’s Irish Grassland and Positive Farmers Conferences. Both conferences highlighted the benefits in terms of profitability to dairy farmers who pursue a grass-based dairying model. In his editorial here Justin reports on the figures and reflects on the principles farmers need to adopt to make the most of this model.

Ever wondered what biological control can do to prevent plant diseases?

Matt Dempsey, who attended the Oxford Farming Conference last week, has got the answer for you. Despite listening to a number of accomplished speakers, Dempsey was especially intrigued by a presentation by Louise Labuschange which presented the possibilities of mites controlling some fungus diseases of cereals. To read more about this presentation and others at the Conference click here

Farmer Writes: Thistles and Nematodes

Co Meath farmer Gerald Potterton writes about the time he and his brother were instructed to bale the ripened barley on a piece of land known as the Bottoms. With only an elderly farm-hand to help them, the prospect of thistly bales and short trousers meant the boys had other ideas. Find out whether the brothers ever graduated to long trousers and what the piece of land is used for now here

10 Commandments for Farmers

Farmers’ wives were given a list of 10 commandments to live by in October last year on the Irish Country Living Blog. This time it’s the male farmers who get the treatment courtesy of a compilation of grievances put together by the wife of farmer Derek Robinson and her friends. To read the suggestions from Susan and her accomplices-in-arms click here

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