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1 week ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
Reading the tillage reports from farmers and agronomists around the country this week could not be more of a contrast to 2024). This same week last year, some farmers were still busy planting with many at the time questioning if the late planting was worth the risk. Those that invested in May last year got rewarded with better than expected yields. Right now, it is clear that farmers are investing heavily in management of current crops, which on the face of it seem exceptional for the time of year.
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1 week ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
I really hope the minister hasn’t rushed a hastily-convened TB summit in an effort to show initiative or give the impression that something big is about to happen. More ‘consultation’ falls on deaf ears for the farmers in Tipperary, Cork and Kerry that have seen a huge increase in 2025 TB reactors (p11), despite adhering to all current rules and regulations. IFA has just announced results of an ifac study estimating the cost to farmers is €150m annually managing the current TB programme.
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1 week ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
It’s the question every suckler and beef farmer is asking – how long will the higher beef price hold? For ten years, the R3 price was 50 cent either side of €4/kg. For the last three years the price has lifted to over €5/kg, and now this year the price will reach new heights, maybe even averaging over €7-€8/kg for the year. A clear signal of a real step change in beef output value. Sheep farmers got that step change in lamb value a year earlier than suckler farmers.
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2 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
LOYALTY CODE: The paper code cannot be redeemed when browsing in private/incognito mode.
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2 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
A dairy farm can produce 50,000 tonnes of milk solids or a half million litres of milk, and some analysts might say that is a good measure of a successful farm. It is a good measure. However, there are so many ways to produce that milk, and output is only one measure. Cows can be fed three to four tonnes of concentrate per cow to produce 14,000 litres of milk per cow, or lower yielding cows can be fed zero nitrogen grass and clover swards topped up with 400kg of concentrate per cow.
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2 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
The fact a senior Teagasc researcher clearly publicly states uncertainty remains around “how” to rewet should set alarm bells ringing in the Department. It highlights once again the challenge associated with managing EU and Department expectations of achieving 10,000 hectares of rewetting in 2025 and 80,000 hectares by 2030. Pat Touhy said there remains a lack of clear information on where such rewetting works would be appropriate and feasible on grassland peat soils.
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2 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
In this week’s forestry feature we outline the Swedish approach to the country’s disastrous storm damage by the then storm co-ordinator. The main difference between Ireland and the Swedish or German response was the speed of action. While the early work by the Irish taskforce in quantifying the volumes and locations of windblown forests has been laudable, the action oriented approach is missing.
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3 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
Thiss week, Ray Ó Foghlú has detailed for us his experience with reporting a case of bad management of slurry spreading near his home in Co Clare. It’s not an easy thing to do – to call out something that’s not right in rural Ireland. Everyone is local and everyone is linked some way or another. Often it’s not meant as a personal attack, or to put it another way, it shouldn’t be personal. Like many farmers, Ray has a deep love for nature and water quality. His goal is to protect that.
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3 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
For years now, the cost of actually building a shed and what the Department suggests are the costs have been out of kilter. At times, Martin Merrick estimates they could be up to 30% out of line. I don’t understand why a rolling range of costs is not established to keep prices real. A farmer only decides to make a significant investment like a shed or a parlour a small number of times in a career.
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3 weeks ago | 
farmersjournal.ie | Jack Kennedy
A significant change in the operation of TB eradication is required. The incidence is going in the wrong direction while the cost increases. BVD was the same. Some will say I’m comparing apples and oranges, but at the time farmers were getting hit with calf health problems, deaths, losses, herd fertility issues, etc. It impacted the farmers’ pockets and wellbeing.
