LATEST ARTICLES
Farm Programmes
Upland innovation in Co Waterford
Brendan Dunford
While the views from the Comeraghs are breathtaking, Willie Drohan's view of the landscape’s future is more clouded with concerns over long-term viability of hill sheep farming.
3 January 2025 News
Funding for local food projects announced
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett said this funding promotes short supply chains and premium sustainable markets closer to home.
1 January 2025 Grass & feeding
Evaluating finishing options for organic lambs
Teagasc have commenced studies which aim to establish finishing blueprints for lowland and hill lambs and help stem the leakage of 70% of lambs in to conventional systems.
Sheep management: nitrates rules, culling ewes and hill ram DNA samples
From 1 January 2025 farms in Ireland with a grassland stocking rate in excess of 100kg/ha organic nitrogen cannot avail of reduced storage capacity via outwintering sheep.
23 December 2024 Management
All eligible organic sheep applications accepted
The growth in farmers converting to organic farming continues while another area recording significant growth is the Sheep Ireland LambPlus programme which closes on 16 December.
11 December 2024 News
Land use policy among main topics at Teagasc/CAFRE uplands symposium
There was a wide array of topics covered at last week’s symposium from land use policy to burning of vegetation.
20 November 2024 News
Poor farm viability risks future of uplands areas
Delegates attending this week’s Teagasc and CAFRE Uplands Symposium were told that a failure to address farm viability in uplands areas will lead to land abandonment and reduced social activity.
14 November 2024 News
Draft ewes meet flying trade at Hexham
Over 3,500 hill sheep were on offer at Hexham Mart in Northumberland last week. Peter McCann reports.
9 October 2024 Northern Ireland
Swaledale ewes at the heart of Birniehall Farm
Rachel Gallagher reports from her trip to Scotland to visit the farm of Jimmy Bell and Rachel Buckle Porter.
2 October 2024 Breeding & health
My Farming Week: Padraig Black, Glenshesk, Co Antrim
Padraig farms 1,500ac with his father, Patrick, near the scenic Dark Hedges in Co Antrim, writes Janine Kennedy.
11 September 2024 News
Sheep improvement scheme – genotyped ram action questions
With ram sales in full flight there is a number of queries being raised regarding compliance with certain aspects of the genotyped ram action.
28 August 2024 Breeding & health
Analysis: significant variation in price of hill lambs
Quality is going to have a major influence on prices paid again in 2024, with light poor-quality lambs starting at €2/kg and better-quality crossbred types rising to €3/kg.
21 August 2024 Markets