Total cereal production fell by a staggering 520,000t this year, Teagasc's crop report has confirmed. Overall production was 1.86m tonnes this year, compared to 2.38m tonnes for 2008 — a fall of 22pc. With the exception of winter barley, yields were below average for all main crops during this year's harvest. Teagasc tillage specialist Jim [...]
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has expressed dismay at the figures revealed in the 2008 Teagasc National Farm Survey that was published today. According to ICSA president Malcolm Thompson, the figures underline a general substantial decline in farm profitability caused by excessive increases in costs (direct costs up 16.4%; overhead costs up [...]
Macra na Feirme and Teagasc have come together to develop a Leadership Training module which will be included in all Teagasc college courses, commencing in September 2009. This will replace the Communications Module with a more practical and applied module that will involve students actively participating in their own learning.
Agriculture will once again be in the firing line as the Government struggles to bridge the latest budgetary shortfall. Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has confirmed that spending in all departments will be reviewed as part of the ongoing process to cut costs. Rationalisation of Department offices, as well as the sharing of resources with bodies [...]
IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman Henry Burns met the French Minister for Agriculture Mr Barnier in Paris together with Mr Liam Aylward MEP and a delegation of French Sheep Industry representatives. Mr Burns said he was very encouraged by the positive approach of Mr Barnier towards the sheep sector and his willingness to drive forward [...]
Reacting to the EU Commission decision to allow 106 Brazilian producers export into Europe, Irish farmers are of the opinion EU Commissioner Markos Kyprianou was highly irresponsible in the light of the admission by the Brazilian Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes that untraceable beef had been exported by Brazil. The Irish farmers leader Padraigh Walsh has [...]
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan T.D., today announced details of the application arrangements for the 2008 Single Payment Scheme (SPS), the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Energy Crops Scheme and the Proteins Premium Scheme. "The closing date for these applications is Thursday, 15 May 2008", the Minister said. "I am opening the [...]
IFA Input Project Team Leader Eddie Downey said that fertiliser prices have finally begun to emerge and fall as competition for cash business and volume purchases intensifies.Mr Downey said: “Despite the fact that wholesale prices have been moving up in the last number of weeks farmers have been able to purchase CAN delivered in big [...]
Mr Trevor Sargent T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with special responsibility for Horticulture today announced a grant aid package of €9.4m under the Grant Scheme for the Development of the Horticulture Sector under the National Development Plan (2007-2013). Grants to 189 horticultural producers for capital investments in new [...]
The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, John Browne TD, today announced a Development Programme for Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Projects throughout the country worth over €23m. Funding is being allocated to projects that have been identified as priorities by both the Local Authorities and the Department's Engineering Division. Significant [...]
