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This Tuesday, news correspondent Pat O’Toole joined the IFA delegation lobbying politicians ahead of budget day and he asked three county chairs about the weather situation in their area: Michael Chance of Donegal, JP Cowley of Sligo, and James Gallagher of Leitrim.

Excessive rain is only another argument to support the IFA’s demands for budgetary action in favour of farmers already hit by falling incomes. Pat O’Toole talked through farmers’ expectations with Martin Stapleton, the association’s farm business chair.

Some of these got a positive reception from Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson for agriculture, Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue, who spoke with news editor Patrick Donohoe.

On Monday, Nathan Tuffy of the Irish Farmers Journal livestock team met Pat Dufy, the new chair of Aurivo. He asked him how the co-op has managed through the recent period of low milk prices.

In London, markets specialist Phelim O’Neill discussed the possibility of a special trade deal between Ireland and the UK and a “hard” or “soft” Brexit with Richard King at the Andersons Brexit seminar in London.

Irish Country Living consumer editor Ciara Leahy met Helen King, Bord Bia’s head of consumer insights, at the opening of the Thinking House space dedicated to helping food and drink companies understand consumers better.

And digital editor Thomas Hubert met Gunter Pauli, the entrepreneur turning weeds into valuable chemicals and animal feed in Italy.

Missed the previous episodes of the podcast? Catch up here: www.farmersjournal.ie/podcast