Catherina Cunnane

1 week ago | independent.ie | Catherina Cunnane

Teagasc: Beef prices will ‘not collapse’ to 2024 levelsTeagasc projected a 4pc price increase for Irish finished cattle in 2025, but prices are already 40pc+ higher than last yearBord Bia's forecast remains “relatively unchanged” with the overall cattle throughput expected to be back by 70,000-90,000 head or 5pc this year. Photo: Roger JonesIrish beef prices are forecast to “moderate but will not collapse back to last year’s levels”, Teagasc’s agricultural economist, Dr Kevin Hanrahan, has said.

1 week ago | independent.ie | Catherina Cunnane

Recent figures show that the pass rate for the BE trailer test is as low as 69pc in Tipperary, while around 1,000 drivers are on a waiting list for BE trailer licence tests. Philip Rice of Advance Drive Training Centre in Co Galway said one of the most common reasons for failing a BE test is making mistakes during reversing manoeuvres or failing to observe properly while reversing. “The tester may ask you to perform a left or right reverse, so you need to be competent at both,” he said.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Catherina Cunnane

Award-winning novice auctioneer Sean McRedmond talks about attending marts as a child, how building trust with vendors is the hardest part of his job and why you should always do something you enjoy. Despite being a qualified auctioneer for just over two years, Sean McRedmond has already been involved in selling farms worth up to €3.8m. For him, auctioneering is more than just a job – it’s a passion.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Catherina Cunnane

Weanlings exports more than double due to huge Spanish demandIsrael was the main destination for Irish weanlings last year with 2,127 exports, but just 117 weanlings have gone to Israel so far in 2025The sixfold increase in the number of weanlings puts Spain ahead of Italy and Northern Ireland. Photo: Roger JonesThe number of weanlings exported in the first three months of 2025 has nearly doubled compared to the same period last year.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Catherina Cunnane

Meet the Monaghan students milking cows in -15°C conditions in MissouriThe pair explain how they ‘stepped outside our comfort zone’ and how US dairy differs from what they are used to back homeDonna Sherlock and Grace Kelly are on a 16-week work placement on dairy farms in MissouriDonna Sherlock and Grace Kelly are learning the ropes of large-scale dairy farming in Springfield, Missouri, USA, where temperatures dip as low as -15°C.