Month: December 2021

It is expected that more than 1,000 farmers will take part in a protest against climate change proposals. Organisers say a recommendation in the Climate Action Bill to lower the slaughter age of cattle from 27 to 24 months by 2030 would destroy the summer grass-fed beef system and cost farmers €750/animal.  Farmers are being asked to gather at three locations: Navan, Kinnegad and north Carlow at 1pm on Sunday…

A farmer from Somerset has become the first breeder since Brexit to import live sheep from the EU after managing to complete all the lengthy paperwork required. Twelve Racka sheep who were imported from an Austrian breeder, made the Calais to Dover crossing following six weeks of negotiations with officials.  New owner Rose Overton said Defra officials from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Alpha) had initially claimed it was…

Ireland is facing “a demographic crisis” due to a 40 per cent decline in the number of young farm managers since 2005, according to Macra na Feirme president John Keane. Just over five per cent of farmers are aged under 35, while 30 per cent of farms are owned by farmers over 65 years, said Mr Keane. “This transition towards a more sustainable agricultural sector and rural areas requires Ireland…

Early rain in the west will spread across the UK, hill snow in the north. Brighter, showery conditions to follow into the southwest. Becoming very windy and blustery, especially in the west.

Southeast winds will increase strong to gale force and gusty, and outbreaks of heavy rain will develop in the southwest, sweeping across the country early Tuesday morning as Storm Barra approaches from the Atlantic. It will remain very windy or stormy on Tuesday night as the centre of Storm Barra tracks over Ireland. There will be frequent squally showers – some wintry with hail – and isolated thunderstorms. Severe and…

Tuesday’s auctions on LSL. Register at www.lslauctions.com to take part. *Details correct at the time of publication. Auctions are subject to change without notification.

LSL Auctions has donated two breeding heifers for auction to raise money for the ‘Hooves 4 Hospice’ project to fund a planned Midlands regional hospice. The project depends on farmers or host farmers to rear and donate an animal that then, once ready for sale, will be sold by Tullamore Lions Club (TLC) with the entire proceeds of the sale donated. TLC president Paul Cullen said: “Our target, with your…

Status Orange and Yellow weather warnings have been issued by the national forecaster for the whole of Ireland as Storm Barra approaches. Tomorrow (Tuesday) there is a strong likelihood of coastal flooding with high waves, high tides, heavy rain and storm surge on south and west coasts. Met Éireann has warned the following counties of Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Galway are most at risk from Storm Barra.  The Status…

Monday’s auctions on LSL. Register at www.lslauctions.com to take part. *Details correct at the time of publication. Auctions are subject to change without notification.

Friday’s auctions on LSL. Register at www.lslauctions.com to take part. *Details correct at the time of publication. Auctions are subject to change without notification.

Cold and frosty for western areas early Sunday. Showers elsewhere, with snow over high ground. Organised band of rain clears east Monday, preceded by snow. Wet and increasingly windy Tuesday.

Staying cold but becoming drier for the rest of the weekend. However, it will turn unsettled again early next week, with a spell of windy and showery weather developing on Monday night and Tuesday.

Friday’s auctions on LSL. Register at www.lslauctions.com to take part. *Details correct at the time of publication. Auctions are subject to change without notification.

Farmers will receive new payments for improving and conserving soil and grasslands from 2022, the UK Government has confirmed. However green groups have voiced disappointment that the scheme falls short of what is needed. The UK’s post-Brexit Agriculture Bill was introduced in 2020, which included measures to prevent farmers from being financially incentivised to over-produce at the expense of the environment. These new measures will replace the EU’s Common Agricultural…

A suspected bird flu case in Northern Ireland will result in 27,000 ducks being culled and a temporary control zone being set up in the area. If the case is confirmed in Country Tyrone, a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone will need to be put in place of the temporary control zone.  Northern Ireland’s chief vet Dr Robert Huey said the site of the suspected case of…

Unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain. Some snow at times in the north, mainly over hills. Often windy, particularly in the southwest on Saturday. Rather cold.

Friday will begin dry with some brighter spells. Overall cloudy though with some scattered showers moving up across the southern half of the country. Highest temperatures of 6 to 9C, in mostly light variable breezes. Later in the day, outbreaks of rain are expected in Atlantic counties.

The European Commission will return more than €21 million to Irish farmers that was taken from direct payments. During 2021, under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), €879.8 million was deducted from European farmers for the agricultural crisis reserve.  The money was used to ensure the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) did not overrun.  European Farmers are supported through the EAGF to provide a secure supply of safe, healthy and affordable…

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is calling for an end to paying farmers retrospectively for milk. Farmers in NI are the only place in the UK where dairy processors use a retrospective payment system. David Brown, UFU deputy president said: “At the beginning of November, First Milk, A GB based cooperative announced the price their farms would receive for milk produced in December.  “But here farmers will not know until…

Irish farmers are calling for a bigger share of retail meat sales profit to cover the high input costs on farms. Farmers believe beef prices need to reach €5/kg for them to maintain parity with 2020 incomes and cover increased costs. IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden, said beef prices have moved on by 5c-10c/kg last week but are still behind the strong growth of key export market returns.  The Irish…