AgriFocus

Ireland has officially taken the helm of the EU Council Presidency for the next six months. But what does that mean in practice, and what can Ireland hope to achieve for Irish farmers? In this episode of AgriFocus MEP Billy Kelleher chats to Agriland editor Stella Meehan at the European Parliament in Strasbourg about why the Presidency matters, the priorities Ireland is bringing to the table, and...

In this episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan is joined by Matthijs Bremer and Manuelle Iamakami from DCA Market Intelligence to discuss the situation with beef markets and the continuing drop in beef price. DCA Market Intelligence, formerly DCA-Markets, is part of DCA Groep B.V. Since 2005, it has grown into a trusted Price Reporting Agency (PRA) with a mission to turn market develo...

Inheritance and retirement continue to drive Irish farmland sales according to a major new report. The latest Annual Agricultural Land Market Review Outlook 2026 report produced by Teagasc and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) highlights that succession and probate sales "are among the most common sources of land coming to market". This year’s annual survey, the 13th in the series,...

One of Ireland’s biggest dairy powerhouses, Ornua, has just reported a solid year with turnover up to €3.5 billion and profits which held firm despite turbulent global markets. The Kerrygold owner pumped over €1.8 billion back into Irish co-ops and also paid out €74.3 million in member bonuses, which highlights its role at the heart of the country’s rual economy. Meanwhile, Kerrygold continues its...

Earlier this year, Dutch supermarket group Jumbo confirmed that it intends to slowly remove Irish beef from its shelves as part of its new supply chain policy. This is a policy that involves creating a fully Dutch beef supply chain. But what does this mean however for Irish farmers and what if other countries follow suit? Agriland editor, Stella Meehan sat down with beef sector manager at Bord Bia...

On this episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan is joined by Simon MacAllister, EY Ireland Partner and Co-Head of Geopolitical Strategy to chat about the EU-Australia Freed Trade Agreement and its effects, especially with everything that is currently going on in the Middle East at the moment. They discuss the immediate impact of oil prices, the challenges faced as a result of a reducti...

The conflict in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global agriculture. It has also shone the spotlight firmly on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane that normally carries roughly a quarter to a third of the world’s nitrogen fertilizer exports. What will this mean for Irish farmers who rely heavily on imported fertiliser? In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined b...

It is one of the busiest times of the year for dairy farmers with calving season in full flow. Days are long, the weather has been less than helpful and the sheer tiredness of it all can see some people slip into survival mode. Add to the mix a downward trending milk price and stubborn production costs and some dairy farmers may simply be too busy to think about what may lie ahead for the rest of...

In this week's episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan speaks to some Irish MEPs during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Firstly she speaks to Fine Gael Ireland South MEP, Sean Kelly who is a member of the EPP political grouping in the EU. He discusses the importance of resourcing farmers sufficiently in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to...

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is continuing to carry out epidemiological investigations and surveillance following confirmation of an outbreak of bluetongue in Co. Wexford. According to DAFM the case was detected in a cow which had no clinical symptoms. But what what might confirmation of the first case mean for Ireland? In this episode of AgriFocus Stella Meehan is joi...

Tens of thousands of Irish farmers showed their strong opposition to the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement at a major protest in Athlone, Co. Westmeath but the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, is still preparing to travel to South America on Saturday (January 17) to sign the trade deal. But once the deal is officially signed what will this really mean for Ireland? In this episode of...

Live from the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEP Ciaran Mullooly speaks to AgriFocus about the momentum that is building this week in opposition to the EU Mercosur trade deal in its current form.

Over the past week Agriland reported on the news that there was a suspected bluetongue case reported on a farm near Bangor, Co. Down in Northern Ireland. Results from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) active surveillance for bluetongue indicated the presence of the disease in two cows. As a result they have activated stringent disease control measures including a...

In general most dairy farmers have had a relatively good year but since July there has been a downward trend in milk prices which has only accelerated in recent months. Teagasc has forecast that 2025, on average, will likely be “the second most profitable year on Irish dairy farms after 2022”. However as co-ops and processors have repeatedly highlighted since the summer months milk supply growth i...

In this episode of AgriFocus we are taking a closer look at the issue of rural crime – from trespassing to illegal hunting and theft and the impact it has on farm families. We speak to one dairy farmer who has had a number of terrifying encounters with trespassers. Limerick dairy farmer, Louise Crowley, who is the chair of the Limerick Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), tells us what it is like whe...

In this special episode of AgriFocus, we are joined by Alison McHugh, EY Ireland tax partner and head of private client services, to take a look at everything effecting agriculture and rural life that was announced today in Budget 2026. Go beyond the headlines with our new podcast series – AgriFocus – where we take a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers, rural comm...

On the latest episode of the AgriFocus podcast, in association with AXA Farm Insurance, Agriland technical beef journalist Breifne O’Brien speaks to Mark Waters of the ICBF about the National Genotyping Programme (NGP). In the podcast, they discuss the benefits of both dairy and suckler farmers joining the NGP and what benefits it offers to farmers breeding cattle as well as farmers buying-in catt...

On the latest episode of the AgriFocus podcast, Agriland Editor Stella Meehan sits down with award-winning journalist, Michelle Michael to discuss 'World Without Cows' a documentary Michelle co-wrote and directed alongside Brandon Whitworth. The documentary which was aired at Alltech Dunboyne starts an important conversation about the role cows play in our daily lives and in the world around us. I...

On the latest episode of the AgriFocus podcast, brought to you by Agriland in association with Axa Insurance, Agriland editor Stella Meehan takes you behind the scenes of the latest agri-food trade mission to Japan. Find out why Japan is such an important market for Ireland’s agri-food sector and discover how premium Irish produce is being showcased in this market. Japan is the number two beef imp...

On the latest episode of the AgriFocus podcast, brought to you by Agriland in association with Axa Insurance, Agriland editor Stella Meehan chats to head of Crops Knowledge Transfer Department with Teagasc, Michael Hennessy. They discuss how winter crops, as well as spring-sown cereals, are performing across the country. Hennessy outlines the tasks growers should be undertaking in the coming days...

In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Ann Griffin, regional advocate for the north-west with Sage Advocacy  – which is the National Advocacy Service for Older People – to chat about what happens to the family farm if an older person needs to consider nursing home care. Ann addresses common concerns among older farmers and their families who fear losing the farm if they enter...

In this episode of AgriFocus, Stella Meehan is joined by Dr. Frank Harrington who is chair of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) Rural Agency Committee and discipline lead of Real Estate and Valuations at TU Dublin. Auctioneers and valuers from the SCSI have said that the outlook for the agricultural land market remains strong for 2025 and they are forecasting that the price of agri...

On this week's episode of AgriFocus , we take a closer look at why the fallout from wildfires which swept through some parts of the country earlier this month could deliver fresh challenges for some farmers in ACRES. Joining Agriland's Francess McDonnell on this episode of AgriFocus is Fergal Monaghan, programme director for ACRES Breifne, Leinster and Munster/South Connaught regions. Fergal has h...

On this week’s episode of AgriFocus , Agriland editor Stella Meehan sits down with technical dairy journalist with Agriland , Hugh Harney and deputy news editor, Francess McDonnell to discuss the most topical agricultural issues at the moment. From beef price to breeding to US import tariffs, the team gauges the feeling among the farming community and agri-business about the current state of the s...