News from Ireland

Farmers to protest outside EU agriculture ministers' meeting Farmers are planning to protest at Dublin Castle on Tuesday where the EU’s agriculture ministers are holding an informal farm council meeting. The ... Dublin Airport grass used to help farmers More than 200 acres of grass at Dublin Airport is being cut and given to Irish farmers to help tackle the Republic's severe shortage of animal fodder.... Some hope amid gloom in tough year for farmers What an eventful half-year it has been for farming. For a sector that was considered a sunset industry in the boom years, it has seldom been out of th... Price of spuds soars by 85pc as long winter delays crops Families have been hit with a 10pc hike in the cost of locally produced food because of the cold winter and delayed spring. Prices for staples like... Grass and fodder shortages forcing extra costs on farmers Farmers should consider early weaning of calves or selling them in an effort to cut costs, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association is advising... Cap deal is as divisive as ever for farm groups You might expect that if Ireland was to get over €11 billion from somewhere it would be the talking point in pubs and shopping centres throughout the ... Getting hands on land is the biggest challenge for young farmers Non-farmer Kieran O’Dowd will be the next president of young farmers’group Macra na Feirme. Surely some mistake? Isn’t that like electing a meat-eater... Cattle and sheep sectors vital drivers in Irish economy IFA President John Bryan said a new report shows the cattle and sheep sectors are hugely important to the Irish economy, and calculates that the €2.3b... 16,000 farmers enjoy windfall after €172m Glanbia deal More than 16,000 farmers will receive a windfall of shares in a €172m share deal at dairy giant Glanbia. While most farmers got shares worth an ave... Farmers selling cattle early to save them from starving to death Farmers are being forced to sell their animals early or let them die of starvation on their farms. Severe weather in the east has compounded a seri... Farmers need weather to pick up immediately Farmers are being hit with what you could be termed 'the perfect storm' at the moment – except that there is nothing too perfect about it. Atrociou... 53,000 farmers to lose out after €74bn CAP deal is agreed Around 53,000 Irish farmers will lose out – and another 60,000 will gain – after a deal on reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy was finally agree... Proposal on CAP reform to be presented to EU Ministers A compromise proposal on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy is due to be presented to EU ministers at a meeting in Brussels later today. ... Irish Farmers' Association to protest against EU cuts The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is due to hold a protest outside Dublin Castle against planned EU cuts to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). ... Horsemeat scandal: chief of Irish beef company to face MPs It is the Irish beef company that is at the heart of the British and Irish supply chains – and its owner, beef baron Larry Goodman, is no stranger to ... Salmon farm plan caught on hook of controversy It’s a project that’s promising up to 500 jobs in a remote part of the country, but a steady campaign of opposition has been building since Bord Iasca... Dairy farmers face €450 electricity hike Dairy farmers will have to fork out almost €450 extra on average on their electricity bills this year as price hikes take their toll. Electricity p... Total cattle kill fell by 10pc in 2012, says CSO The total cattle kill last year was down a massive 9.7pc compared to 2011, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). ... Farmers poised for shake-up in CAP payments of €1.2bn Proposed changes to how Ireland distributes its €1.2bn CAP allocation could result in sizeable reductions in the amounts paid to the country's biggest... EU agriculture ministers to hold first vote on fishing discards Europe's agriculture ministers will today take the first concrete steps towards abandoning the practice of fishing discards. Ministers meeting in B... Fresh concerns over use of antibiotics in farming Horse meat is no joke. But at least it is not killing us. More than 25,000 people across Europe die each year because of bacterial infections that are... Live cattle exports resume to Libya after 17 years Almost 3,000 cattle departed for Libya last night in the first live shipment of cattle to the country since it banned imports from the EU in 1996. ... Demand doubles for Teagasc agriculture courses Demand for agriculture courses run by Teagasc has doubled in the past six years and the organisation has had to redeploy staff from other areas to mee... O'Neill to hold horsemeat crisis meeting Ministers are expected to receive an urgent update on the situation from senior officials from the Food Standards Agency at the Loughry agriculture ca... Traces of pork found in beef products The Food Safety Authority of Ireland said yesterday it had found traces of pork in beef products but said it never tested halal meats. A spokeswoma... Farmers urged to learn from tragedy The deaths of three members of a family must serve as a warning to the farming community, Northern Ireland's senior coroner has urged. Ulster rugby... 2,900 cattle ready for export to Libya Exporters have begun assembling 2,900 cattle for the first boat destined for Libya in three weeks. All breeds except Friesians are being sought at ... Scandal-hit meat plant in radical overhaul A radical overhaul of the plant at the centre of the horse-meat scandal may win it a reprieve from lucrative customers. Fast-food giant Burger King... Dairy farms 'need 5,000 staff to hit Food Harvest 2020 target' Irish dairy farms will need an additional 4,000 or 5,000 trained staff if the goals set out in Food Harvest 2020 are to be achieved. Well-known Cor... Poor pay a high price when it comes to cheap meat The whole meat burger saga reveals something extremely serious – the existence of a two-tier regulatory system. The real scandal of the burger stor... Land sold back to farmers at knockdown prices Land in Ireland once earmarked for homes and offices is being sold at knockdown prices to farmers, sometimes the same farmers who made fortunes sellin... Agriculture officials knew about horse meat for weeks Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has defended a delay of almost four weeks in notifying the public about the presence of horse meat in beef burgers.... Irish cattle kill set to increase by 150,000 The total cattle kill this year could increase by more than 150,000 head compared to 2012, Bord Bia has forecast. The number of cattle available fo... Farmers' fears growing over state valuation of their homes Fresh fears have been expressed over how the country's 100,000 farmers are to assess the value of their homes for the property tax. One farming org... A brighter shade of green for Irish farming In the debate over who gets what from the Cap, little light has been shed on the direction of the policy. With about €1.3 billion up for grabs annu... Farmers warned: Take care - stay safe at work Farmers have been warned to take care of their safety after their profession was confirmed as the most dangerous in Northern Ireland - with three quar... Warning after farming again the deadliest job last year Farmers have been urged to take extra care after farming was again the country's deadliest job in 2012. End-of-year figures from the Health and Saf... Cabinet heads for split over Quinn grant plan Education Minister Ruairi Quinn (pictured) is set to create a cabinet split in the New Year by pushing ahead with his plan to include farmland and bus... Irish minister says EU budget shouldn't delay CAP talks The future of Europe’s agriculture policy shouldn’t be held hostage by the EU’s budget impasse, Ireland’s agricultural minister said in calling for ne... Demand for agriculture courses doubles in four years Demand for agriculture, horticulture and food science courses doubled in the four years from 2008 to 2012, according to statistics from the Central Ap... Carlow farmer backs GM and technology investment The best presentation of the conference undoubtedly came from Carlow-based tillage farmer Kevin Nolan, who owns 240ac and farms up to 800ac, some on a... Average farm income €21,500 The average farm income was €21,500 this year, which represents a 12 per cent drop on 2011, according to provisional estimates released by Teagasc yes... Farmers endure their share of Budget pain Measures taken by Minister for Finance described as disproportionate, unfair, regressive and bruising. When Minister for Finance Michael Noonan mad... Government facing CAP reform stance backlash The Government and the IFA could be facing a major backlash from small farmers – especially in western seaboard counties – over their stance regarding... Glanbia dairy farmers back share sale but crucial vote remains Glanbia dairy farmers took one step closer to securing a €163m windfall after 81.8% of voters accepted to spin out and sell shares, but another crucia... Five farmers break livestock regulations Five farmers have received suspended jail sentences ranging from two to six months for breaches of the Department of Agriculture disease control regul... Sustainability centre stage in branding initiative A revolution in marketing Irish food and drink aims to give the sector an edge among discerning consumers worldwide On April 18th, 1894 250 people ... Farm incomes 'fall 22 per cent' Preliminary estimates from the Irish Farmers Association suggest that farm incomes have fallen by about 22 per cent this year. The farm group said ... Nation raises its game in the crusade against ash disease Since reporting a few weeks ago on the confirmation of an occurrence of Ash Dieback disease in a plantation in Co Leitrim, I've received dozens of cal... Poultry imports 'tsunami' hits Irish farmers Poultry and egg processors have warned that a 'tsunami' of imports supplying the retail and catering sector has left the Irish poultry industry fighti...