Charles O'Donnell, Aisling O'Brien and Stella Meehan bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• IFA heading for minister's Newbridge office amid Bord Bia dispute;
• EU audits Brazilian beef regulations;
• 5,000kg of beef with banned hormone consumed in Netherlands;
• 2026 Tillage Support Scheme launched;
• Additional bluetongue cases confirmed;
• Met Éireann to start using 'localised' weather warnings.

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland’s weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit Agriland.ie for more.

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 2026.

In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Patrick Gowing Dairy Specialist at Teagasc who says it is vitally important for dairy farmers to consider where they might be by September.

According to Gowing what they need to do now is understand their true cost structure and tighten budgets to maximise grass as their most valuable feed.

He also shares practical, no-nonsense ways for dairy farmers to protect profit and build a more resilient business. 

Go beyond the headlines with our podcast series – AgriFocus – where we take a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers, rural communities and the agri-sector.

In Agriland's newest podcast 'It Started With Slurry' Breifne O’Brien sits down with Eoin Lynch, the slurry mad Mitchelstown farmer who went viral at the National Ploughing Championships. On today's episode the lads chat about..

• Calving season;
• Comparing your grass to your neighbours;
• How Eoin ended up getting a police escort in Tipperary;
• How to build an electric guitar from scratch.

 Don’t forget to rate, review and follow 'It Started With Slurry and visit Agriland.ie for more. 

Charles O'Donnell, Stella Meehan and Aisling O'Brien bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• Hundreds of farmers voice anger over Bord Bia controversy at Mayo meeting
• Investigations ongoing into further cases of bluetongue
• Cross-border TB pilot launched at Donegal farm
• EU nitrogen fertiliser imports plummet
• Teagasc says not all vacant posts will be filled due to pay ceiling
• Funding for new flour mills
• Do you leave the keys in your farm vehicles?

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland’s weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit Agriland.ie for more.

Charles O'Donnell and Aisling O'Brien bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• Larry Murrin controversy continues;
• Heydon calls meeting of key stakeholders;
• Food labelling in the spotlight;
• EU auditors spark concerns for farm payments;
• DAFM seeking skilled operatives for badger programme;
• Key deadline for hedge cutting and burning;
• Farmers buy local pub.

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland’s weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit Agriland.ie for more.

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 ensure they can maintain and develop further environmental measures.

AgriFocus also speaks to Fianna Fáil, Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher, who is a member of the Renew political grouping in the EU about the EU-Mercosur trade deal, CAP funding and the impact of bluetongue virus on live exports.

Charles O'Donnell, Stella Meehan and Breifne O'Brien bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• Larry Murrin's committee appearance;
• Bluetongue latest;
• Contractors' 2026 prices;
• Key EU commissioners in Ireland on CAP;
• Home heating oil thefts.

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland’s weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit Agriland.ie for more.

Charles O'Donnell, Aisling O'Brien and Francess McDonnell bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• Bluetongue confirmed in Ireland;
• IFA begin rolling protest outside Bord Bia;
• Bord Bia chair to appear before Oireachtas committee;
• Irish EU Commissioner 'regrets' move to refer Mercosur to court;
• DII disappointed by no new dairy access in India trade deal;
• Splash-plate slurry spreading allowed on land with steep hills;
• Where are the agri ministers heading for St. Patrick’s Day?

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland’s weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit Agriland.ie for more. 

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 joined by the deputy chief veterinary officer at DAFM, Dr. Eoin Ryan to explain why bluetongue is in Ireland and how it spreads.

Go beyond the headlines with our podcast series – AgriFocus – where we take a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers, rural communities and the agri-sector.

Charles O'Donnell, Aisling O'Brien and Breifne O'Brien bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• Calls for Bord Bia chair to be removed;
• MEPs refer Mercosur deal to Europe’s top court;
• Over 400t of Mercosur beef imported to Ireland in 2025;
• No recovery in factory cattle supply expected this year;
• 338 jobs at risk as ABP to cease retail packing at Dungannon site;
• TB Action Plan changes set to kick in this April;
• Farmers could face ‘more regulations’ under proposed Eco Scheme changes;
• Gurteen College’s new tractor fleet.

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland’s weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit Agriland.ie for more.