Lorcan Roche Kelly

Ireland

Business Editor at Irish Farmers Journal

Agri-business editor at @farmersjournal Sign up for the world's most important newsletter: https://t.co/GjSw3AHeI9 (delivered every Thursday)

Articles

Farmer Business Developments reports jump in profits

3 weeks ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

Farmer Business Developments plc, the investment holding company with 4,400 mostly farmer shareholders reported strong results for 2024 which showed profit before tax increased to €36.36m, from €25.04m in 2023. The company’s hotels and resorts business recorded earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of €27.23m, a 13% improvement on the 2023 performance. Revenue in the hotels and resorts business was €67.3m in Ireland and €51.4m in Spain.
The winners (and losers) from CAP

3 weeks ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

The annual CAP beneficiaries publication released by the Department of Agriculture always makes interesting reading, and this year is no different. Digging into the data we can extract some industry trends as well as see who some of the biggest winners were.
High grocery inflation changing consumer behaviour

3 weeks ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

The latest analysis on the Irish grocery market from Kantar shows that annual grocery inflation continued to be relatively high at 4.96% in the 12 weeks to 18 May. While this is well below the levels seen in the wake of the pandemic, it is 2.4 percentage points above the level seen in the same period in 2024. Business development director at Kantar Emer Healy said: “Rising prices are influencing both sales performance and consumer behaviour.
Pensions are a brilliant investment

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

When it comes to easy ways to maximise long term returns from an investment in a tax efficient manner, there is no better way to do it than through a pension. Contributions to a plan are tax free, up to certain limits, and as they are a long-term savings they can build to provide a comfortable post-retirement income.
Off-farm incomes can lead to high tax bills in good years

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

Strong prices – particularly in the beef sector, in 2024 and predicted for 2025 – means that part-time farmers who traditionally had little or no income from their dry-stock operation will find themselves with a tax liability. Other than better farmgate prices, incomes are also being driven higher by the increase in agri schemes, including organic schemes, and a reduction in on-farm spending as many farmers in the sector have little need for fresh spending on farm infrastructure.
Tax and investment focus for farmers

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

Running a successful farm is a hugely challenging enterprise, requiring a range of skills that are wider than almost any other career. As well as being adept at doing the job of looking after animals and crops, maintaining buildings, equipment and machinery, managing employees, keeping up to date on what seems like an ever-increasing level of regulation, dealing with unexpected weather, disease and illness challenges, farmers also have to look after the financial health of their business.
2024 tax to be paid this autumn

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

Tax is still the topic every farmer prefers to avoid, but the deadline looms every year in mid-November. For many it’s the next biggest outgoing after feed and fertiliser. With higher farm incomes across 2024 and a bullish outlook for 2025, farmers need to start budgeting now for rising tax bills. Across dairy, beef and tillage, 2024 profits have outpaced 2023, with 2025 likely to increase again if current price trends hold.
Making the right investment decision

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

There is a story often repeated about an elderly farmer who owned a large field on the outskirts of a small town in rural Ireland. During the Celtic Tiger boom years he received many offers for the field from developers, eventually accepting a price €100,000/acre for the land in 2006. Needless to say, the proposed development never went ahead and the land lay idle for several years until it went through the NAMA process.
Businesses try to get ahead of trade risks

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

The one thing that we can be sure about since Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs and the numerous rounds of talks and threats since, is that trade uncertainty has massively increased for anyone who is exporting to the US. For Irish agricultural exporters, the time of year means that it would have been difficult to meet extra customer demand for perishable products, if it had arisen.
The TACO presidency strikes again?

1 month ago | farmersjournal.ie | Lorcan Roche Kelly

President Trump’s threat last week that he would slap a 50% tariff on all US imports from the EU by June 1 as talks were not progressing fast enough for his taste was reversed by Monday morning. The president said he had a “very nice phone call” with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and announced the deadline had been extended to 9 July.