Sunday 31 March 2019
Everyone should watch the film, Oak Tree - Nature's Greatest Survivor, which was recently aired on BBC 4.
It's so far so good with lambing. The later lambing date is really suiting my farm. I am lambing the majority of the ewes outside and the triplets and singles are inside. I could not ask for better conditions which are in stark contrast to last year's apocalypse which was like an Antarctic trek with Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean.
A Hollywood production assistant with Warner Brothers has swapped lights, camera, action for lambing this spring.
Claims that the Quality Pricing System (QPS) has delivered positive results for beef producers have been challenged head on by the ICMSA, who insist that a complete review is urgently overdue.
Storm Powell visited the Longford/Westmeath Farmers' Mart in Ballymahon to talk to farmers about the suckler sector and spring's grass growth surge.
European young farmers organisation CEJA has said it is deeply concerned about the direction being taken by the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament in reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Dutch buyers are currently sourcing 3,500 weanlings destined for the Turkish market.
Irish farmers will "absolutely" use Northern Ireland as a back door into Britain if no-deal Brexit plans are implemented, the Irish Farmers' Association president has said.
Vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness has said she believes a 'backstop 2' situation would emerge for Northern Ireland even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Dairy group Fonterra said on Friday its New Zealand milk production in February was largely flat from a year earlier, while Australian production fell sharply in January due to dry weather.
Scientists have identified a new technique to help plants grow with less water.
The early grazing that took place up until the start of March was abruptly halted by almost three weeks of cold and wet weather.
A 140ac farm at Doonass, Clonlara, Co Clare - just 12 miles from Limerick city - is back on the market and under offer with a guide price of €1.25m.
Bord Bia's Origin Green programme has failed to deliver a premium price for Irish beef farmers, the ICMSA has claimed.
CAP convergence moves centre-stage for MEPs next week when members of the parliament's powerful Agriculture Committee vote on the issue.
The looming row between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over carbon tax hikes has been kicked down the road to the summer.
The tide has been turning on the nation's health for many years. We've seen the McDonald's food chain embrace salads and politicians introduce a sugar tax to help cut obesity rates.
The President of ICMSA met EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mr. Phil Hogan, today in Brussels to discuss the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit and the crippling effect the chaos is having on Ireland’s farming and wider agri-food sector and the financial losses being suffered by farmers.
The overall intake of milk in Ireland during February increased by 2.5pc, but milk consumption in Ireland fell by 3pc.
Big farms continue to make big prices in the south and a 246ac residential, grass, equine and tillage farm at Clonegal near Bunclody in Co Wexford sold after auction recently - making in excess of its closing bid of €2.4m.
A drop in seasonal workers driven by Brexit uncertainty has left daffodil growers struggling to harvest their fields amid warnings crops will “almost certainly” be lost as the year progresses.
Strathroy Dairy will grow its milk pool in the Republic by around 10pc this year despite the challenges posed by Brexit.
It was last summer that farmer and writer Lorna Sixsmith started experiencing the classic symptoms of burnout. It had been a tough year on the farm - an interminable-seeming winter followed swiftly by a brutal heatwave, and drought that struck in June and July. Lorna and her family were on a treadmill, pulling out all the stops to keep things afloat with the problems that the inclement...
The imminent departure of the UK from the EU creates an urgent need for a full review of rural crime prevention structures along the border, the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality finds in a report published today.
Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) boss Alan Crowe has said the body is eager to increase its footprint at the Maze.
It's almost certain that changes to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy will be delayed beyond 2020.
My opinion of glyphosate has changed a lot since the landmark case in California last year.
Lakeland Dairies had record profits and revenues last year, ahead of its merger with LacPatrick.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has said that Ireland is “very anxious to have trade” with Iran as it is an 80 million affluent, middle class market, but there are issues.
The Irish Grain Growers Group has called on the Department of Agriculture and farm lobby groups to explain why ship loads of grain are being imported as Irish tillage farmers have grain supplies sitting in their sheds.
A Brexit loan scheme was never intended as a product for a crash-out Brexit scenario, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has acknowledged.
The world's oldest mule has died in Cork.
Kilkenny young farmer Paul Bowden was announced as the Teagasc/FBD Insurance Student of the Year for 2018.
Ireland needs fewer cows and other livestock and farmers are "not going to get an out" if Ireland is to meet its climate action targets, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has warned.
The UK's environment secretary Michael Gove has suggested a possible way around creating a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland would be to have goods from Ireland checked in Europe.
Ireland is to receive over €3.3m from the EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme for the coming school year.
There was a difference of opinion among the farm organisations about factory prices yesterday morning.
A new report has found that small concentrations of antibiotics have found their way into a range of Europe's waterbodies.
Fianna Fail has called on the Government to provide exceptional and market disturbance aid for beef as part of a 14-point plan to mitigate against a hard Brexit.
The Government has announced details of a €300m loan scheme for farmers and SMEs to support long-term investment post Brexit.
A new website will allow farmers and food producers sell their waste produce to biogas energy producers across Europe.
The continued movement of animals across the Irish Border is the biggest area of concern for the EU ahead of a no-deal scenario.
Irish agriculture needs to diversify, away from being reliant on exporting dairy and beef products, according to the leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan.
Researchers at NUI Galway have linked the expansion of Ireland's dairy herd to proliferation of green seaweeds in Cork and Dublin bays and said with the intensification of the dairy herd there must be more work done to keep nutrients out of waterways.
Dairy farmers work 1,000 more hours per annum than drystock and tillage farmers, a new Teagasc Survey has heard.
ABP is extending its range of online beef products for Chinese consumers on the JD.com platform, due to what it described as "extremely" positive demand.
THE UK government has the army on standby in case of riots over Brexit – but the Irish Defence Forces could be called out to deal with deer in Kerry.
There are fears that Irish meat processors, which own plants in Ireland and the UK, could move live cattle for processing in UK plants in the event of a hard Brexit.
Irish dairy farms are producing up to three times more greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions than other farming sectors and there’s no silver bullet for reduction, a new Teagasc study has stated.
Two hundred euro in compensation has been given to a farmer following a sheep attack by a husky dog, a District Court has heard.
The ICMSA has called for a review of feedlots in Ireland, after figures from the Department of Agriculture show that there were 54,000 cattle in feedlots in the first two months of the year.
A shift to sexed semen and increased use of beef sires by milk suppliers is forecast for the upcoming breeding season as the dairy sector tackles the problem of poor demand for bull calves.
ABP is extending its range of online beef products for Chinese consumers on the JD.com platform following what it described as 'extremely' positive demand.
Research in Teagasc Grange has demonstrated the challenges faced by farmers finishing dairy-bred cattle.
Ireland's telecoms regulator is unlikely to require Irish operators to have coverage in rural areas for 5G mobile licences, it has emerged.
A dispute between a wind farm company and a farmer over an agreement about access to his land has taken a twist after another wind farm company claimed it also had an agreement with him.
A tax on Greenhouse Gas emissions from agriculture have not been ruled out completely, despite not being one of the main recommendations of the Climate Action Group report.
The Beef Plan Movement has sent a submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, calling for a review of the QPS grid.
The EU decision to ban chlorothalonil, the active ingredient in key fungicide Bravo, will compound the income crisis in the Irish tillage sector, tillage experts have warned.
Yes, this may seem a strange time to quote the ill-fated Soviet leader Leon Trotsky, of all people.
Farmers have reacted furiously as factory quotes for bullocks and heifers, and bulls in some places, slipped another 5c/kg this week .
OVER 40 claims are expected to be lodged to the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) by farmers left out of pocket following the closure of Castleblayney Mart in Co Monaghan.
When a friend rings and asks if you have a minute to talk, you know it is serious. Your head goes into overdrive and, to paraphrase Hillary Clinton, you find yourself mentally rummaging through the basket of deplorable possibilities that make life difficult.
Google is skipping rural Ireland. Not completely - just for its newest service. Others will soon follow. 'Stadia' requires a 25Mbs broadband connection to work. A third of Irish premises can't get that speed from their provider. The infrastructure isn't there.
The European Union believes that a no-deal Brexit is "increasingly likely", EU officials said on Monday after the bloc gave Britain two more weeks to solve its political stalemate, but is doubtful that would work.
Massey Ferguson and Fendt-branded balers are now rolling out after Lely opted to sell to AGCO. The new MF models comprise an upgraded look and I think we'll start to see more of them given the previous popularity of Lely balers in Ireland.
The decision by the EU Commission and endorsed by the Member States not to renew critical fungicide Chlorothalonil has been described as a severe blow for the Irish tillage sector.
Spring has well and truly sprung - as Ireland is set to enjoy temperatures as high as 16C this week.
Irish beef may potentially have to compete directly with South American beef in the valuable UK food service market, in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has again highlighted that Ireland would make a case to the European Commission that support for its primary producers would limit any possible contagion from UK tariffs to other European countries.
Global milk output is unlikely to grow by more than 0.5pc during the first quarter of 2019, according to Ornua's latest market report.
It's full steam ahead at Alan and Barry Coleman's dairy farm in Kinsale, Co Cork.
"I have seen rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen." With these rousing words, the world was introduced to 'The Boss' in 1974.
Mike Salvesen was working on his farm in the foothills of New Zealand's Southern Alps last Friday when his phone began pinging with news of a tragedy unfolding about 110 km (70 miles) away in Christchurch.
The valuation of land for a CPO should be a simple process, but this is not usually the case.
Future funding for farm schemes such as GLAS and BDGP must be secured now by the Department of Agriculture as the new CAP programme to 2027 is unlikely to be approved ahead of 2021.
Compensation issues for farmers in the event of a TB outbreak must be addressed before new policy measures are discussed, it has been urged.
The Republic of Ireland has acted as an important outlet for the Northern Ireland sheep sector and has traditionally taken approximately half of the lambs produced in the region.
Farmers in western Europe have begun sugar beet planting, with first indications pointing to a drop in area for the next harvest after a price slump fueled by the end of European Union production quotas.
Towering over a wooden podium in the Arkansas General Assembly this month, Republican representative David Hillman, a self-declared calf-roper, spoke of steak to pitch his latest bill.
For many of us, our exposure and, indeed, our contribution towards efficient energy use extends to light bulbs and little else.
Tipperary accounted for some of the bigger farms and the bigger prices paid at auction last year.
Could the price of a pint of beer really rise by as much as €5? Scientists are warning that the impact of climate change could take a long-term toll on the quality of barley.
The strength of interest in the Irish bovine bloodlines from export customers benefited the overall trade at the Irish Simmental Cattle Society Premier Show and Sale at Roscommon Mart on Saturday.
With the recent turn of weather events, I have decided to leave the fertiliser spreader parked up until this wet and windy spell has passed.
Several years ago I visited a food and vegetable market in Cuba.
A "perfect storm" occurred last week at Bandon mart when word came through that ships would not sail to Cherbourg due to Storm Gareth, which resulted in "the dampening of the price of calves".
US ambassador has again repeated the line that agriculture had to be part of plans for trade negotiations with the European Union.
Threatened tariffs and import quotas cast a dismal spell on the Raphoe Mart in Donegal, with farmers grappling with what the latest twists in Brexit mean for them and their livelihoods.
Moves are underway to reduce the age limits for castration of calves without pain relief from six months to two months of age.
A public interest test for the transfer of significant areas of land would be a “powerful tool” to reform land ownership in Scotland, the Environment Secretary has said.
I always enjoyed reading Joe Barry's articles in the Farming Independent, especially the stories about his own woodland.
Prospective buyers from as far away as Wicklow were among those chasing a 220ac residential farm at Faha near Kilmacthomas in Co Waterford which sold at auction last week for €2.6m, over €11,800/ac.
A robust defence of the controversial Quality Pricing System (QPS) for cattle at the factories has been launched as the IFA ruled out a reform of the grid.
Farmers planning to make baled silage this summer should be under no illusions about the costs involved.
Strathroy Dairy has said a surge in demand for butter saw a spike in its revenues last year.
Are farmers guilty of talking out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to disease control in the national herd?
Brexit uncertainties and stagnant beef prices failed to derail the store cattle trade in the marts over the last week, as strong demand for quality stock continued to underpin the market.
UK farming unions have written to Chancellor Philip Hammond demanding that the government does not allow the Northern Irish border to become a loophole that only works to the benefit of Irish businesses to the detriment of UK producers.
Confirmation this week that Tesco will not simply replace Irish beef with cheaper South American product in the unlikely event of a 'no deal' Brexit is welcome news for Irish livestock farmers.
The makers of the weedkiller Roundup have insisted the "science confirmed" that glyphosate-based herbicides do not cause cancer.
Farmers in the North have written to the UK government warning that it must not allow the Irish Border to become a "loophole" that benefits Irish producers at the cost of UK farmers.
The sheep trade on the factory side continues exactly as it did last week.
March is often the time of year where deals are done on renting of ground for making silage, but how much can we afford to pay for this ground and when does it become too expensive?
Two Dublin men ran a "Ponzi scheme" in which they induced dozens of people to invest more than €5m in a forestry investment scam, a court has heard.
The UK government's attempts to sabotage the Irish cattle trade with threats of chronically high tariffs should be seen, in my opinion, for what they were - a crude attempt to turn Irish beef into a political bargaining chip.
For Maine dairy farmer Fred Stone, the discovery in 2016 that his cows were producing tainted milk has since brought financial ruin and threatened to shut down a century-old family business.
A US jury on Tuesday found Bayer AG's glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer caused cancer, a blow to the company eight months after another jury issued a $289 million verdict over similar claims in a different case.
THE Government is delaying plans to unveil a package of emergency financial supports for farmers and small business owners who will be severely affected in the event of a disorderly Brexit.
New Zealand’s Fonterra Co-operative Group, the world’s biggest dairy exporter, swung to a first-half profit but remains under pressure from a challenging environment in Australia.
Lambing is just about to kick off here and I am glad that I left it that bit later. It's almost the calm before the storm amidst the storms. March has always come in like a lion and generally goes out like a lamb and judging by the weather forecast this week it seems the weather gods are looking somewhat favourably on me this year.
The calf trade in the marts remains extremely difficult, with shipper demand being hit as a result of cancelled sailings due to the continuing poor weather.
More medium-sized farms than small farms could exit agriculture as the risk of a no deal Brexit elevates, Teagasc’s Chief Economist Kevin Hanrahan has warned.
Six is the lucky number for one ewe on the Teagasc farm in Athenry, Co Galway who has given birth to sextuplet lambs for the second year in a row.
Brexit has the potential to create a completely new scale of a milk crisis, the European Dairy Association (EDA) has warned in a letter to EU Council President, Mr Donald Tusk.
An adjustment in carcase weights being applied on cattle at the factories, which it is claimed is no longer justified, could be costing in excess of €750,000 per week in lower returns, livestock farmers have been advised.
Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan has said that he does not have a transition plan ready to go if the planned reform of the Common Agricultural policy is not agreed in 2019.
Former ICMSA President John Comer has failed in his bid to become a Fianna Fail candidate in the upcoming EU elections.
For almost 100 years, Chris Chinn's family has farmed asparagus in the rolling hills of the Wye Valley in western England.
A prime parcel of land in the Enniscorthy district will be auctioned off in Carlow this week.
The Irish Government is willing to introduce further capping of large EU farm payments and said plans to allow farmers to deduct labour costs would undermine such cuts.
Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has said the current budget proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are not tenable.
A man in his late 80s died in a farming accident after his tractor “rolled over him” when he tried to jump-start the vehicle, an inquest has heard.
The Minister for Agriculture has described an IFA demand on live exports as 'reckless' for the industry.
The UK's biggest supermarket chain has insisted it has no plans to import cheap beef from South America post-Brexit amid concerns over Ireland's valuable export trade.
US makers of bulldozers and other heavy equipment are raising prices, losing sales and in some cases beginning to trim workers in response to the Trump administration’s protracted trade disputes with various countries, according to a new report.
A farmer who does’t own a car or have a driver’s licence has avoided a disqualification after he was caught driving a tractor through a busy Co. Limerick town.
An unfinished power plant that former Taoiseach Enda Kenny turned the sod on faces the ‘death-knell’ after a poor rating by the energy regulator.
The seven-month rule for retaining animals for ANC payments will remain in force, the Department of Agriculture told the farm organisations last week.
There are many benefits to reseeding old pasture. Research has shown that newly reseeded grazing swards can produce 20-40pc more grass.
Lambing 2019 is under way. It began with the Pedigree Bluefaced Leicester ewes on February 24.
Macra needs to become a stronger voice on all issues affecting the rural youth and not just young people involved in farming, says Thomas Duffy, the only person nominated to be the next Macra president.
February was a wonderful month to be farming. Warm days and pleasant nights resulted in near-perfect conditions for growth, grazing and outdoor calving on the pad.
The EU is set to equip farmers with more market data to help them negotiate better prices and contract terms with processors and retailers.
Bigger farms continue to dominate the agricultural land market.
Spring is a very stressful time for most farmers. Dairy and suckler beef farmers are burning the midnight oil with compact calving patterns in the recommended systems of production. Tillage farmers avail of every available hour to tend to winter crops and plant spring crops.
A recent dispute in Galway relating to farm boundaries has played out dramatically before the courts and brought to mind the many difficulties faced throughout the country that relate to land divisions and boundaries.
Halting and reversing the spread of significant grass weed populations is at the heart of an initiative recently launched by Teagasc.
John Comer, the former ICMSA president from Mayo, has joined a long line of farm union leaders having a shot at national politics.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture circulated a press release stating that Minister Michael Creed, "has issued a strong reminder to farmers and advisors" on the illegal removal of hedgerows.
Producer organisations (POs) are doomed to fail if farmers can be tempted to break ranks by the promise of All-Ireland tickets from processors, a leading agri solicitor has said.
A meeting of European Agriculture Ministers next week will discuss a proposal allow Member States to decide whether or not to introduce a controversial salary deduction when capping large farm payments under the proposed reforms of the Common Agriculural Policy (CAP).
Farmers have been urged to hold off purchasing large consignments of fertiliser until Irish prices have eased back in line with the international trade.
It's hard to believe we are well into March already. With 80pc of the cows calved, all we need is plenty more dry weather to keep the workload down.
Later today we may, or we may not, have some clear indication of how Britain intends to proceed with Brexit as MPs gather for another vote on the matter.
Farmers must stay calm and not react to the UK’s tariff statement which was a political stunt, EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has warned.
Farmers that work Ireland's spawling upland areas have raised concerns in relation to land access and issues around liability.
Northern Irish agri-food group Fane Valley has acquired Silver Hill Foods, the Monaghan-based duck producer.
Farmers need to shed the image of being overworked and underpaid and become more business minded, BBC broadcaster and farmer Adam Henson told an Alltech conference in Dublin.
Dairy farming is the future for agriculture graduates in the south of the country, judging the mood among students at last week's open day in Clonakilty Agricultural College.
Beans have the potential to be the most profitable crop tillage farmers could sow this spring, yet merchants have confirmed seed sales remain sluggish.
Hardy cattle, broadleaf trees and plenty of clover could prove a winning combination for farmers and the environment in north Donegal, say the backers of a new initiative in the county.
A national strategy on anaerobic digestion should be developed as a priority, a new report has recommended.
Five students from Laurel Hill secondary school in the heart of Limerick City were announced as the overall winners of the 2019 Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition.
The control system for organic products in the EU has improved in recent years, but challenges remain, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors.
US farmers are gearing up to plant what could be their third-largest soybean crop ever despite failing to sell a mountain of beans from their last harvest due to a U.S.-China trade war that remains unresolved.
Senior officials from the Department of Agriculture were in Brussels yesterday meeting EU Commission representatives about potential bailouts for the sector in a worst-case scenario.
We have a simple rain gauge that someone got as a Christmas present standing in our garden which told us that we had more precipitation in the first five days of March than we had for the entire months of January and February.
Centralised control of the microchipping database for dogs needs to be handed over to the Department of Agriculture, farm organisations have demanded following a spate of dog attacks on sheep flocks around the country.
Concerns have been raised over moves to cut TB outbreak compensation for farmers who have not acted to reduce their disease risks, writes Louise Hogan.
Devastating tariffs will mean that the price of Irish food for British consumers will skyrocket - forcing many to turn away from our produce.
Threatened tariffs and import quotas in a cliff-edge Brexit would be 'disastrous' for beef farming.
Edmund Graham, a beef farmer on the Border, is already counting the economic impact of Brexit.
The Data Commission has confirmed it will meet the IFA over aspects of its levy collection system that allows the sharing of some farmers' data.
The Ulster Farmers' Union has blasted proposals by the UK government to implement a free trade zone on Northern Ireland as giving no protection to the industry, potentially reducing food standards and providing no guarantee food will get cheaper.
A 175ac farm at Ballyvarra near Mullinahone in Co Tipperary, on the market for some time, has seen a flurry of interest of late.
THE road signs at the frictionless Irish border might as well say ‘Welcome to Bandit Country’ if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead.
The UK government has published details of its temporary tariff regime that would be implemented in the case of a no-deal Brexit, which it says is designed to minimise costs to business and consumers while protecting vulnerable industries.
Calves are being sold for just 50 cent as Ireland’s beef sector, already badly hit by low prices, now faces huge Brexit tariffs on its €1bn UK export market, the Fianna Fáil leader has told the Dáil.
THE road signs at the frictionless Irish border might as well say ‘Welcome to Bandit Country’ if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead.
Kerry Group has announced its base price for February milk supplies is 31c/L vat inclusive. Based on average February milk solids, the price return inclusive of vat and bonuses is 35.56c/L, according to a spokesperson for Kerry.
The MATIF pricing structure set for malting barley between Boortmalt and the IFA may not have been the right option, according to Boortmalt CEO Peter Nallen.
Farmers are calling for the Data Commissioner to investigate the IFA system of collecting levies.
While the UK government will not introduce any new checks or controls on goods moving into Northern Ireland if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal, large tariffs will hit Ireland's agri-food trade with the rest of the UK.
In his more than 20 years farming, Liam Delaney has done everything he knows how to do to make beef production work, inside and outside the farm gate and in terms of advocating for the sector.
Trade for weaker Friesian calves remains poor due to large numbers and a weather-related shipping backlog.
A trial using digital cameras and LED lights as part of the mechanical grading system in meat factories is at an "advanced stage", it has been confirmed.
Factory prices remain unchanged for the majority of farmers and feeders, with heifers on a €3.85/kg base and bullocks on €3.75/kg.
Irish calf exporters have received approval by the French Authorities for an increase in the holding capacity of one of the lairages at Cherbourg which facilitates the processing of animal exports to the EU.
Agricultural price inputs have increased by 5.7pc in January 2019 compared to the same period last year, according to latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
News likely to appeal to agricultural contractors and farmers alike is the announcement from Michelin that latest versions of its RoadBib tractor tyres are now available.
Farmers have raised concerns that the seemingly likely delay in the rollout of a new CAP will undermine low-income farmers.
The Unfair Trading Practices Directive has been formally adopted by the European Parliament today.
Churchtown in Cork is well known as the birthplace of the legendary trainer Vincent O'Brien. Many good horses have also hailed from here, the latest being Commander Of Fleet, who is a firm favourite for honours at next week's Cheltenham Festival for his owner Michael O'Leary and trainer Gordon Elliott.
Farmers could face further difficulties in getting vets to call out to their farm as the Department of Agriculture's invitation to vets to register for Border Inspection Posts (BIP) with them as part of Brexit contingency planning could exacerbate the shortage of large-animal specialists.
Storm Gareth is set to batter Ireland with wind speeds of up to 130kmh this afternoon, as coastal flooding and potential damage to property is feared.
The very mention of terms like 'cashflow', 'financial projections' or 'farm business plans' tends to immediately turn off most farmers.
A radical decrease in greenhouse gas emissions is needed if farmers are to have time to prepare for major changes in rainfall that could decimate crops, researchers said in a report released on Monday.
The divergence in prices being paid by co-ops to milk suppliers has reached "unsustainable proportions", the ICMSA has warned.
The IFA could face legal challenges to its levy collection system which identifies farmers opting out of the levy collected by meat processors, marts and co-ops on the association's behalf.
Key Irish and French farming associations have strongly supported the EU27 position on Brexit.
Grocery prices rose 1.5pc in the 12 weeks to February 24, and further increases are likely on foot of Brexit, according to market researchers Kantar Worldpanel.
A High Court judge has criticised a fund's "cavalier" attitude in dealing with a woman whose company operates a dairy farm in Co Tipperary.
The UK Government has secured "legally-binding" changes to the Brexit deal after Theresa May made a last-minute dash to Strasbourg for talks on the eve of a crucial vote in the House of Commons.
Glanbia will pay its milk suppliers 31.5c/L (including VAT) for February manufacturing milk supplies at 3.6pc butterfat and 3.3pc protein, down from the 32c/L it paid for January milk.
The ESB is facing compensation claims for some €3.5m from property owners whose land is needed to run power cables for the national infrastructure.
The sheep industry must follow the consumer trend towards healthy eating by delivering lambs with lower fat scores.
The 2019 SIMA machinery exhibition is taking place in Paris this week. This is a huge event that usually attracts close to 300,000 visitors. The show has been bolstered by a growing Irish following in the last 10 or so years and for those who like their machinery gigs, they don't come much bigger than this one.
The rules governing co-ops will be overhauled this year, as the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys brings forward legislation to bring them into the 21st century.
The busy spring workload has kicked in with cows calving left, right, and centre. This requires the daily sorting out of colostrum cows, fresh heifers, and treatments to finally create an ever growing mob of milker's. Some mornings seem to take an age to get finished.
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