Farmers Journal, Irish Farmers Journal, Farming in Ireland, Farmer Journal, Farmers in Ireland

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Meath dairy farmer lauds reliability and quality of AAA Golden Maverick®

Father-and-son team Paddy and Stephen Lawlor milk 300 Holstein cows on 100 acres - with a further 400 acres rented - at Brownstown, outside Navan, Co Meath, where Paddy himself also grew up.

PLOUGHING 2024

Photo Desk

Watch: highlights from day three of Ploughing 2024

Some 78,000 people attended Thursday of Ploughing 2024, bringing the total attendance for the three days to 244,000. Check out our highlights from the final day.

Amy Forde

78,000 attend final day of Ploughing 2024

National Ploughing Association managing director Anna May McHugh said that the overall mood for this year’s Ploughing was incredibly buoyant and positive.

James Hanly

Plough On: good day for a Marty Party

James Hanly presents the final episode of this season's Plough On podcast, bringing you the latest news and views from Ploughing 2024.

Minister ‘very much considering’ farm retirement scheme

Amy Forde

Minister ‘very much considering’ farm retirement scheme

The result of any retirement or renewal scheme has to be young people coming into farming, the Minister for Agriculture has said.

MART REPORTS

Camera at the Mart: Mule hoggets average €255/head in Tuam

Contributor

Camera at the Mart: Mule hoggets average €255/head in Tuam

The entry of just shy of 600 hoggets averaged €255/head, while over 1,000 Mule ewe lambs recorded an average price of €152.50/head, writes Shaun Diver.

Adam Woods

Watch: beef heifers hit €2,700 in Elphin

Adam Woods reports from Elphin Mart, where a special sale of beef heifers was held last Wednesday.

Darren Carty

Bright start to Cheviot sheep sales

A number of sales held in the last week all reported a similar trend of keen demand for relatively tight supplies of quality ewe hoggets and ewe lambs.

PODCASTS

BREAK THE CYCLE

A ‘notable increase’ in rural youths needing mental health supports

Sarah McIntosh

A ‘notable increase’ in rural youths needing mental health supports

With the decline in mental health seen amongst young people living in rural Ireland, it is important to know where to turn to if you need support, writes Sarah McIntosh.

Editorial: Break the Cycle and get on your bikes for Ploughing 2024

Ciara Leahy

Editorial: Break the Cycle and get on your bikes for Ploughing 2024

According to new research, farmers aren't as physically active as they think but you can get a bit of exercise in at the Irish Farmers Journal stand at the Ploughing, writes Ciara Leahy.

Jacqueline Hogge

Social prescribing helps ‘combat social exclusion’

The growth of social prescribing, where people struggling with isolation are connected to their communities, is leading to enhanced mental health, writes Jacqueline Hogge.

Break the Cycle: 'we all need to take time to talk' - Marty Morrissey

Sarah McIntosh

Break the Cycle: 'we all need to take time to talk' - Marty Morrissey

Broadcasting legend Marty Morrissey is joining the Irish Country Living team at this year’s National Ploughing Championship, encouraging everyone to talk more, writes Sarah McIntosh.

VIDEO HUB

BEEF

Noel Bardon

More cuts of Irish Grass-Fed Beef expected to hit Italian shelves soon

Noel Bardon

Organic sector targets 'ambitious' €750m in output by 2030

Adam Woods

Huge risk in winter finishing

Adam Woods

Over €6/kg required for winter finishers

FARM PROGRAMMES

SUSTAINABILITY

BEEF

DAIRY

SHEEP

DAIRY

Arrabawn follows August milk price rise

Milk prices have been up across the board for August, with Dairygold, Kerry Dairy and Lakeland Dairies also lifting their prices by 1.19c/l excluding VAT.

Amy Forde

Tirlán lifts August milk price

Overall, the global milk supply outlook remains unchanged and is likely to be flat this year, Tirlán chair John Murphy said.

James Hanly

Fodder tight as grass growth bites

Aidan Brennan

Dairy Management: grass growth continues to disappoint

SPONSORED

Sustainability in Irish agriculture: rising to the challenge

Sustainability is a key focus in agricultural discussions, sparking a range of perspectives. For Irish farmers, it represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

SHEEP

Noel Bardon

Organic sector targets 'ambitious' €750m in output by 2030

James Hanly

UFU and IFA call for import pause over bluetongue risk

Sheep prices: ewe hoggets continue to sell strongly

Darren Carty

Sheep prices: ewe hoggets continue to sell strongly

Sheep Trends: kill falls as lamb numbers tighten

Darren Carty

Sheep Trends: kill falls as lamb numbers tighten

KNOWLEDGE HUB

LIVESTOCK

Crop Protection

LIVESTOCK

Nitrates derogation calculator

LIVESTOCK

Mart Price Calculator

FINANCE

BPS calculator

ANIMAL HEALTH

Noel Bardon

TB reactors up 70% in two years

The Department expects that current disease levels will see around 40,000 reactors removed over 2024.

Explainer: the new rules for buying vaccines and doses

Rachel Donovan

Explainer: the new rules for buying vaccines and doses

From June 2025, retailers will require a veterinary prescription in order to supply antiparasitics under a new law on veterinary medicines.

PEDIGREE

Milford records smashed at €6,500 for ram lamb

Adam Woods

Milford records smashed at €6,500 for ram lamb

Adam Woods reports from Milford Mart for the annual Milford Sheep Breeders Association Sale.

Texel ram tops Kelso ram sales at 35,000gns.

Rachel Gallagher

Texel ram tops Kelso ram sales at 35,000gns.

Rachel Gallagher reports from the 2024 Kelso ram sales.

SPONSORED

Meath dairy farmer lauds reliability and quality of AAA Golden Maverick®

Father-and-son team Paddy and Stephen Lawlor milk 300 Holstein cows on 100 acres - with a further 400 acres rented - at Brownstown, outside Navan, Co Meath, where Paddy himself also grew up.

SPONSORED

Capper Trading’s Complete Rations

Assuming protein and mineral levels are sufficient in the diet, the performance of finishing cattle is driven by the energy content of the overall diet

SPONSORED

How Cultivate’s quick loan approval process is making life easier for farmers

With a growing herd and on-farm enterprise, dairy farmers Andrew and Aodhagon Smith recognised the need to invest in their farm...

SPONSORED

Sustainability in Irish agriculture: rising to the challenge

Sustainability is a key focus in agricultural discussions, sparking a range of perspectives. For Irish farmers, it represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

For daily news, mart prices and ePaper access from 6am on Thursday, subscribe for just €1

AGRIBUSINESS

Some retailers didn’t comply with Regulator's request for data

Phelim O'Neill

Some retailers didn’t comply with Regulator's request for data

Failure by some to give the regulator information required triggers a request to the minister for extended powers.

Siobhán Walsh

Malting Company of Ireland to expand

This news will be welcomed by tillage farmers who are looking for premium markets to sell their grain into.

Teagasc settles farmer claims at a cost of €336,000

Lorcan Roche Kelly

Teagasc settles farmer claims at a cost of €336,000

Agricultural development authority saw increases in both funding and spending in 2023.

Siobhán Walsh

35% of grain used to produce Irish drinks not native - Teagasc

Teagasc’s Michael Hennessy detailed some figures on grain usage in the drinks sector at the Irish Drinks Forum.

TILLAGE

Siobhán Walsh

Tillage Podcast: Ploughing, porridge and malt expansion

Noel Bardon

Organic surge sends signal to tillage farmers on grain demand - Hackett

Anne O'Donoghue

Becoming more difficult to keep on top of disease in crops - Spink

Siobhán Walsh

Grain Trends: prices down after rebound

SPONSORED

Sustainability progress on Irish farms

Origin Green sustainability and data analytics manager Dr Eleanor Murphy reports on Irish farm emissions.

MACHINERY

Gary Abbott

TractorBumper to offer front bumper with built-in air compressor

Danish manufacturer TractorBumper is currently developing a front tractor bumper with an integrated air compressor and air tanks.

Ploughing 2024: five of biggest agricultural machines on show

Peter Thomas Keaveney

Ploughing 2024: five of biggest agricultural machines on show

We take a look at some of the larger agricultural machines catching the eyes of attendees at this year’s National Ploughing Championships.

Peter Thomas Keaveney

New kid on the block claims machine of the year accolade

Gary Abbott

Irish debut for Merlo's compact TF30.7 model

Gary Abbott

Automatic decks and flatbed models from M-Tec Engineering

SPONSORED

New quad bike regulations - are you ready?

Quad bikes are designed to cope with a wide variety of terrain types and so are a fantastic aid for farm work - by Ciaran Roche, FBD risk manager.

PROPERTY

Peter McCann

Great expectations at 19th century Down castle

Elmfield Estate is on the market for £3.35m (€3.96m), writes Peter McCann.

Mayo residential farm guided at €800,000

Tommy Moyles

Mayo residential farm guided at €800,000

A ready to go residential farm between Kilmaine and Ballinrobe is on the market in the south of Co Mayo, writes Tommy Moyles.

Trio of medium-sized Leinster farms for auction

Tommy Moyles

Trio of medium-sized Leinster farms for auction

All in grass, these properties are all in one block and are served by an excellent road network making each a good addition to any existing farm business, writes Tommy Moyles.

BUILDINGS

Martin Merrick

Where do costs lie in cubicle sheds?

Within 10 years, costs per cow have risen from €1,500 to over €3,000 for a standard cubicle shed with slurry storage.

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

Farmers need substantial grants for biodiversity action - Tánaiste

Amy Forde

Farmers need substantial grants for biodiversity action - Tánaiste

To separate food production from the climate change agenda, if that’s what Europe wants, then Europe is going to have to pony up more funding to make it worthwhile, Micheál Martin has said.

Funding for new tranche of Organic Farming Scheme still to be decided

Noel Bardon

Funding for new tranche of Organic Farming Scheme still to be decided

New tranche is due to open this autumn, but Budget 2025 will determine how many farmers will be catered for.

RENEWABLES

Stephen Robb

73% of energy professionals say market uncertainty a barrier to finance

73% of energy professionals believe market uncertainty is the biggest barrier to financing new renewable technologies in Ireland, followed by planning challenges, according to new survey results.

Stephen Robb

Ploughing talk to focus on large- and small-scale solar and AD

A panel discussion will take place at the Irish Farmers Journal stand on Tuesday at 3 pm, focusing on both large-scale and small-scale AD solar PV and what the mean for your farm.

FORESTRY

James Hanly

Slieve Bloom first nature project under new Coillte-NPWS collaboration

The new agreement between the NPWS and Coillte aims to have greater collaboration in the delivery of biodiversity and nature projects.

Establishing forests with diversity for long-term CCF management

Donal Magner

Establishing forests with diversity for long-term CCF management

Sean Hoskins and Olive Leavy examine continuous cover forestry (CCF) principles in the approach to forest management.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Peter McCann

News round-up from Northern Ireland

Weekly round-up of news from the farming industry in Northern Ireland.

Suckler outfits hit £3,200 in Downpatrick

Kieran Mailey

Suckler outfits hit £3,200 in Downpatrick

Suckler cows were in demand during a recent dispersal sale, while rising milk prices are boosting demand for freshly calved dairy stock.

IRISH COUNTRY LIVING

Life

Special report: lifting the lid on the Hot School Meals Programme

An in-depth examination of the Hot School Meals Programme shows a lack of local food suppliers is restricting the success of the scheme in rural schools. Jacqueline Hogge and Janine Kennedy report.

Irish Horse

Irish Horse: battle royale at Lanaken

Life

Farmers on the frontline of climate crisis

Entertainment

Sport: Dundalk's worrying woes

Irish Horse

Racing: why do racegoers prefer Kerry over Kildare?

Deirdre Verney

Fancy being on the telly at the Ploughing?

The makers of some of Ireland’s most popular TV shows are bidding to recruit new stars at the Ploughing, writes Deirdre Verney.

Editorial: VAT rates causing stress for small businesses

Ciara Leahy

Editorial: VAT rates causing stress for small businesses

Reducing the VAT for cafés and restaurants could reduce a lot of stress for business owners in rural Ireland, writes Ciara Leahy.

Frankie goes to... west Cork for rural inspiration

Ciara Leahy

Frankie goes to... west Cork for rural inspiration

Dead set on getting out of west Cork when he was young, Graham Norton now finds that rural Ireland is his happy place and the perfect inspiration for his novels, writes Ciara Leahy.

Sarah McIntosh

National Youth Food Summit to take place in Ireland

The World Food Forum (WFF) is organizing a National Youth Food Summit in Airfield Estate bringing together young food enthusiast and sustainable advocates, writes Sarah McIntosh.

PHOTOGRAPHY