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.
The Northern Ireland Assembly’s publication on the status of women farmers in the agricultural sector highlights existing gender disparities. The report is titled, Breaking the Grass Ceiling – Challenges Women Experience in the Local Agricultural Sector. Challenges that were isolated include gaining ownership of farms and land, caring responsibilities, a lack of support from family, underrepresentation of women role models and gender bias in the industry are the main challenges…
Data on badger culling and bovine tuberculosis (TB) control in cattle remains somewhat limited, and an ongoing analysis is needed to ascertain the linkage. Animal-welfare organisation Born Free published its latest findings in the Veterinary Record scientific journal last month. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) welcomed the research, but said that not all views expressed were in keeping with its own. It said, “The study suggests that a decline in incidence…
A report titled Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible was published this week. It examines the critical importance of groundwater in global food security. The review states that groundwater accounts for almost 99% of all liquid freshwater on earth. As such, it is crucial for food and water security, and the fight against poverty The publication is part of the UN’s World Water Development Report (WWDR) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation…
The European Commission has confirmed that its proposed private storage aid scheme for pigmeat will open later this month. There there will be temporary exemptions for some scheme regulations. The Commission also announced further measures to address the food crisis in the form of a €500 million support package for farmers. According to the EU Commission the introduction of a private storage scheme aims to ease pressure on markets in the EU, and…
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.
Farmers have been encouraged to install solar PV panels as this would enable them to receive 17.5c/kWh for electricity generation from renewable energy company Arden Energy. In its latest partnership with another renewable energy company, Local Power, the export price will be offered to farms and businesses that are producing electricity through installed solar PV panels. “Arden Energy’s offer of a guaranteed export price of 17.5c/kWh sends a clear…
“Low-emission slurry spreading equipment (LESS) has become a huge part of our climate action strategy but the cost of putting it in place is just too great for most,” this is comes as the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association says that there should be a VAT exemption on LESS equipment. The VAT price for a standard 2,500-gallon spreader is upwards of €10,000 and ICSA president Dermot Kelleher says that…
The Cabinet has approved a bill to establish a new agri-food authority which will be known as the Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri-Food Supply Chain. According to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, the objective of the office will be to promote the principles of fairness and transparency in the agricultural and food-supply chain by conducting market analysis on all sectors through publicly available…
Mike Magan, the chair of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee, is encouraging farmers to make sure that enough fertiliser is spread on grassland now for grazing and first-cut silage. The newly formed committee currently has representatives from over 30 farm and agri-food organisations, and Magan gave the advice at their second meeting. He said that, “there is a good weather forecast for the weeks ahead,” and that farmers…
An amount of €1.5 million will be provided by The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to support Irish involvement in a new European agricultural biodiversity research network. Teagasc will contribute €288,000 in support in the form of three Walsh Scholarships for the European Research Area Network (ERA-NET) funding venture. The biodiversity research network project will study approaches to improving biodiversity at a landscape level, as well as…
In a bid to increase road safety in rural areas, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the FCI have reminded tractor drivers that they should not attach plough lamps to a vehicle’s rear when travelling on public roads. Operators fit ploughing lamps to agricultural tractors and self-propelled machinery. These emit a white light to the vehicle’s rear to give extra visibility while working on-farm. Both bodies advise that only red…
Feed import figures for January this year are now available. Central Statistics Office data shows that imports of some grains are up significantly on the same month last year. Imports of maize in January 2022 are estimated at 206,288t, compared to approximately 107,893t in the same month of 2021. Looking back, the numbers indicate that 576,752t of maize were imported from September to December 2020, compared with 455,876t from September…
Some good news is that the National Ploughing Championships (NPA) are back after a two-year break. The event will take place from 20 to 22 September, 2022. Any exhibitors who would like to book stand spaces can take advantage of early bird offers via the online trade exhibition portal. This year the championships will feature the biggest area to date allocated to exhibitions and demonstrations. And the NPA says that,…
There has been a moderate decrease in feed prices, but according to Teagasc costs are still very high and very volatile. This comes as the National Fodder and Feed Security Committee met yesterday to discuss the current trends facing the farming sector, with the group forecasting that feed ingredient prices are set to increase between €50 and €70/t in April and by €25/t in May. But this was the least…
Base prices in the sheep trade held steady for the week, ranging from €6.75/kg up to €6.90/kg. Processors were reluctant to increase prices but due to the decision it has left processors in a stronger position this week. According to various reports, only one meat processing plant increased its base price for hoggets. With some processors saying that there was no issue in tying in numbers at the start of…
“Farmers are making decisions over the next number of weeks in terms of purchasing cattle that will be either finished off grass this summer and autumn, or finished from the shed next winter.” This is according to Macra na Feirme national president, John Keane, who has raised concerns regarding beef finishers. His comments have stemmed from his call to the Minister for Food, Agriculture and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, in…
“We are living in unprecedented times which has put our supply chains under enormous pressure,” this is according to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue. As the government has sought measures to assist farmers facing the current crisis, the Minister has announced yet another package worth more than €12 million to encourage Irish tillage farmers to grow more crops. McConalogue is expected to seek approval for the latest…
Plans regarding the latest €1m multi-species sward scheme are currently underway. It aims to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming and forms part of Budget 2022. Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue made the announcement regarding developments of this scheme last week. The pilot measure is expected to have a positive impact on climate emissions, biodiversity and water quality. It additionally seeks to reduce dependency on expensive nitrogenous fertiliser. According…
Eamonn Gaffney Auctioneers brings to auction via LSL Auctions, for sale by Online Auction, a residential farm in Rathmore, Aughnacliffe, Co. Longford on Thursday 31 March 2022, at 3pm. Location: This excellent residential farm is located in a private laneway off the L1026 between Aughnacliffe and Dromard and would be ideal for anyone wishing to extend their existing holding or as a start-up holding. There are also Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)…
IFA President Tim Cullinan has said that the Government should move quickly to restore the ban on below-cost selling of food. He made the comment when launching economist Jim Power’s report, tiled Retail Price Compression Threatens the Viability of Irish Horticulture, yesterday. “The price compression at retail level has forced growers out of business. The most recent National Field Vegetable Census, which is now out of date, showed that the…
Claas appears to be meeting the growing demand for high-performance machines, by introducing its new Torion model range of compact loaders. With its latest offering, the new Torion series covers three different category sizes with a wide performance range. All new models are equipped with the proven Claas power system drive, which combines reliability and efficiency. It boasts a generously dimensioned cab with optimal all-round visibility and user-friendly features. …
A new project has been launched that includes the restoration of heritage projects across Ireland. The project known as the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS), will see the preservation of 512 heritage projects across 31 local authorities. Funding for the initiative is said to be €4 million which is expected to be shared between the properties and will additionally lead to job creation in the industry. Minister for Heritage and…
The Africa Agri-Food Development Programme (AADP) has been supporting Irish firms to participate in business in Africa for the last 10 years. Now, grants capped at €250,000 are available to Irish agri-food companies to initiate new markets there. Companies of all sizes are eligible to apply for grant funding. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are collaborating for the venture.…
With the unprecedented increases in global gas prices, Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly says the EU commission should show flexibility in this regard. As this has placed strain on Irish households, the MEP says that the body should include aid rules for domestic energy production, due to lower income groups feeling the most pressure. The MEP, who is a member of member of the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy…
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.