News & opinion

The latest farming news and developments from the Irish Farmers Journal. Keep up to date with breaking news stories from the agriculture sector.

LATEST NEWS
James Hanly
Research shows money is ‘overriding stress factor’ with farmers
The research team collected data online through semi-structured interviews with 17 farmers and three focus groups with 11 farming stakeholders.
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Caitríona Morrissey
Dairygold says bank debt ‘at a very manageable level’
EDITORIAL
Jack Kennedy
Editorial: Stop the clock and reflect
Editorial: Renewable ‘set price’ disappoints
It seems, on the face of it, that this tariff rate is below expectations and not going to give the injection or boost to farmers that they need to take on the project risks.
SPONSORED
CalfCare ’25 roadshow to promote calf health and good calf rearing practices
Seventeen farms nationwide will host CalfCare ’25, a collaborative roadshow by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and Teagasc’s DairyBeef 500 campaign, promoting calf health and good calf-rearing practices.
VIEWPOINTS
Export market change - real and present
Jack Kennedy
Jack Kennedy
Home Farm: slurry additives
Matt Dempsey
Matt Dempsey
Dempsey at Large: sauce for the goose
Matt Dempsey
Matt Dempsey
Editorial: Stop the clock and reflect
Jack Kennedy
Jack Kennedy
FARMER WRITES
Farmer Writes: Not everything puts on weight over Christmas
James Strain
Farmer Writes: Not everything puts on weight over Christmas
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and all of a sudden there’s no one there to do the work or feed the stock. People can be left in an awful situation overnight, James Strain writes.
Farmer Writes: TB breakdown after three clear years
Joe Collingborn
Farmer Writes: TB breakdown after three clear years
Since we are a closed herd, I can’t buy in, so I just have to wait for the heifers to calve into the system.
Contributor
Year in review and planning for 2025
e-Learning
Contributor
Farmer Writes: The snow caused a change in our plans
CalfCare ’25 roadshow to promote calf health and good calf rearing practices SPONSORED
CalfCare ’25 roadshow to promote calf health and good calf rearing practices
Seventeen farms nationwide will host CalfCare ’25, a collaborative roadshow by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and Teagasc’s DairyBeef 500 campaign, promoting calf health and good calf-rearing practices.
DEALER
Goulding's fertiliser relocation stalled
Goulding's planned to import bulk fertiliser to the site at Belvelly Port, Marino Point, using around 50 ships per year.
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The Dealer
Heslin hangs up his boots
The Dealer
Footballs flying over spilled milk
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VIDEO HUB
FARM SAFETY
Sarah McIntosh
Kerry community hosts memorial tractor run
A family who lost a loved one to a farm accident are keeping his memory alive by hosting an annual tractor run, writes Sarah McIntosh.
Read the full story ->
SPONSORED
CalfCare ’25 roadshow to promote calf health and good calf rearing practices
Seventeen farms nationwide will host CalfCare ’25, a collaborative roadshow by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and Teagasc’s DairyBeef 500 campaign, promoting calf health and good calf-rearing practices.
FORESTRY
James Hanly
€24.2m payments paid to forest owners
Improvement in land available for afforestation
Farmers account for 79% of 6,586ha planting licenses approved under current and carryover of previous forestry programmes.
Anne O'Donoghue
2024 forestry target falls well short with just 1,573ha planted
PIG AND POULTRY
Bird flu state of emergency declared in California
James Hanly
Bird flu state of emergency declared in California
The announcement was made on Thursday to further enhance the state’s preparedness after a case of the virus was confirmed in cattle on farms in southern California.
Poultry to buck EU farm output decline trend
Noel Bardon
Poultry to buck EU farm output decline trend
The European Commission’s outlook for the coming 10 years points towards more poultry, but less pigmeat, being produced on EU farms.
Adam Woods
Navigating a period of high risk for Avian Influenza
e-Learning
James Hanly
Raw milk samples in US to be tested for bird flu
Amy Forde
Bird flu found in buzzard in Galway