Public debates between candidates for IFA president and deputy president began on Monday. We bring you extracts from the debate, farmers' reactions and analysis by Irish Farmers Journal news editor Patrick Donohoe and news correspondent Pat O'Toole.

On the general election campaign trail, news journalist Odile Evans spoke with Labour party leader and Tánaiste Joan Burton as she visited the food processing company Country Crest in Co Dublin this Monday.

She also recorded Sinn Féin's Mayo county councillor Rose Conway-Walsh as she spelled out her party's farming and rural life manifesto.

As dairy commodity markets show no sign of recovery, dairy editor Jack Kennedy met the former editor of Kerry Group, Denis Brosnan and asked him for his outlook for the sector.

On the beef side, Phelim O'Neill spoke with Debbie Boucher of AHDB Beef And Lamb on the prospects in the UK market at her organisation's meat outlook conference in London. There, he also asked Professor Alan Matthews from Trinity College about the implications of a Brexit scenario for farmers in Britain and Ireland.

Rugby legend John Hayes contributes to Irish Country Living during the Six Nations. In conversation with Joe Lenehan, he reflects on the career of his former teammate Paul O’Connell, who retired from play this week.

Some subscribers to Virgin’s pay TV service have received notice that the company will not keep them as customers. Irish Country Living consumer editor Ciara Leahey and editor Mairead Lavery have more details.

Finally, Mairead Lavery met garden historian Jennifer Harmer at the recent snowdrop gala, and she tells us more about the best loved flower of the season.


Listen to each item separately:

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