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.
A two-day conference and workshop titled Swards for the Future Grassland will take place on Thursday, 8 and Friday, 9 September, 2022. The event aims to explore Resilient Swards for the Future. It will be hosted at the Teagasc, Animal and Grassland, Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, and is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Teagasc highlights that while grassland continues to be…
As it stands, farmer’s land parcels cannot have more than 10% of so-called ‘ineligible features’ like scrub, trees, copses, woodland, habitat and rock, but a decision was made by the Department of Agriculture to increase the area from its original proposal of 30%. It seems that farmers will be able to receive payments on land parcels with up to 50% of previously ineligible features such as scrub or woodland from…
The UK farming community has seen a huge increase on fuel theft, which has more than doubled in both cost and frequency in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2021. This was established from statistics extracted from a NFU Mutual rural crime report. In the company’s view, the increase was driven both by criminal gangs roaming freely since the end of pandemic restrictions and…
Last week, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association president Dermot Kelleher called on the government to insist on a complete blanket ban at EU level on meat imports from outside the EU, given the stress farmers have been put under in recent weeks. “Farmers have been made to feel that the high quality, high protein, nutritious food they supply to European markets is now something to be ashamed of. The…
Holstein Friesian breeders across Ireland are invited to prepare for the return of the Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition at this year’s Virginia Show on 24 August, 2022. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, launched the long-standing competition at Diageo Baileys in the northwest of Dublin in July. Entrants will be competing for a share of a €10,000 prize pot. The…
Farmers can apply for Slurry Infrastructure Grant funding towards storing and using slurry in a safe and efficient way from autumn 2022. The Grant can cover up to a maximum of 50% of the eligible costs of a project. Farmers can apply for between £25,000 and £250,000 for each business. The remaining costs will need to be paid for through private sources, such as savings or a bank loan. The…
Thursday’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.
The 2022 International Conference on Agricultural and Food Science (ICAFS) will be held in video online as a webinar from 28 to 30 September, 2022. This sixth ICAFS event is organized by Asia-Pacific Association of Science, Engineering and Technology, in cooperation with multiple academic affiliations. It has been designed to provide a comprehensive overview of agricultural and food science. A focus will be given on Plant sciences; Agronomy and Agricultural sciences; Soil…
Waterford Harvest Festival is back for its 13th year as one of Ireland’s leading food festivals. Mark your calendar for a foodie weekend on Friday, 9 September to Sunday, 11 September, 2022. The locations will be Roberts Square, Broad Street, Michael Street, Patrick’s Street, Arundel Square. The event will showcase Waterford’s rich food heritage and celebrating its diverse restaurants, eateries and producers. The best of Waterford’s food and drink will be…
The Principal Research Officer at Teagasc, Gary Lanigan, has commented that the first step towards reducing GHG emissions in the agricultural sector is tackling nitrogen use. Lanigan led research on a Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for greenhouse gas (GHG) in Irish agriculture. He added that it will be “very challenging” to lower emissions by 25% through science alone, saying that, “There are two ways you can increase the total…
Supplies of suitably finished lambs are tight on the ground, and farmers are still looking for a strong return on lamb prices, according to the IFA. The organisation’s Sheep Committee chair Kevin Comiskey adds that the lower kill out rates this year have reduced the volumes of sheep meat being processed. Despite persisting in lowering quotes, factories are anxious for lambs and are offering various deals on transport and other…
The last two years have seen increased interest in solar and wind farm companies looking to enter into option agreements to acquire land to potentially erect solar panels or wind turbines. Declan McEvoy, Head of Tax at IFAC, clarifies the tax incentives for farmers interested in renewables. The typical contract that a solar/wind farm company is looking to enter into with the landowner is broken down as follows: 1. Option…
Wednesday’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.
The 97th Annual Connemara Pony Show will take place from 9 to 12 August, 2022, at The Showgrounds, Clifden in Galway. The Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society is committed to support its members to establish the Connemara Pony as the world’s premier pony for sport and recreation through the provision of services of the highest standards of excellence The CPBS Annual Show will commence in the Sand Arena at 10am sharp…
Bord Bia has put out a call for all Irish organic farmers, growers, producers and manufacturers to submit entries to the National Organic Awards, which takes place on Thursday, 13 October, 2022. Entries close on 26 August this year. There are seven award categories, chosen to recognise key developments in the organic sector: a retail award; a private label award; export award winner; new and innovative award; e-commerce award; marketing…
Gates open at 9am at The Clarecastle Agricultural Show, an event hosted on Sunday 7, August, 2022, at the Clarecastle GAA Grounds , Clare. This is two minutes off Exit 12 on the Motorway. The organisers held their first successful show in 2016, and now again, after two long years, they welcome everyone back. Entry to the showgrounds and exhibition hall is free, but a donation at the gate would…
IFA President Tim Cullinan said last week that Government’s announcement of a sectoral emissions ceiling for agriculture 25% lower than emissions in 2018 is a potentially devastating blow for Irish farming and the rural economy. This deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party is all about the survival of the Government rather than survival of rural Ireland. “The Government has agreed to a target without any pathway…
Amendments to Ireland’s fifth Nitrates Action Programme were signed by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD and came into effect on 28 July, 2022. The amendment gives effect to the Commission Implementing Decision granting Ireland a derogation for some farms to stock at a higher rate subject to stricter environmental rules. In addition, it clarifies and refines requirements around shallow cultivation of land post-harvest. Commenting…
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.
Figures extracted from the 2021 AIM Bovine Statistics Report shows that 3,400 herds exited cattle farming over the last five-year period. And it appears that herds with bovines reduced by approximately 6,000 over the last decade. The statistics indicate that the total number of herds with cattle dropped below the 100,000 herds mark for the first time since the inaugural bovine statistics report was published this year. The reduction in…
The Signpost Series of weekly environment webinars aimed at the Irish agri industry continues this month. Teagasc will host one each on 5 August, 2022 and 13 August, 2022 beginning at 9.30am. Register: Here The first event on 5 August, 2022 will focus on Wild Atlantic Nature (WAN) LIFE IP, a nine-year EU-funded LIFE Integrated Project that works with farmers, local communities and land owners to add value to the…
The Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has resubmitted Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 to the European Commission for approval. The updated plan takes account of the observations received from the European Commission in March 2022 and reflects the outcome of extensive discussions that have ensued over the past three months. Minister Charlie McConalogue TD said, “I am pleased we have reached preliminary agreement on a CAP Strategic Plan…
The National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has put out an alert for Pond Sliders (trachemys scripta), an invasive alien species first reported in Ireland in 2003. More recently, they were identified in The Lough, Cork City and the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin. Pond Sliders have three subspecies: Red-Eared Slider, Yellow-Bellied Slider and Cumberland Slider. The main pathway of introduction for this…