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. 

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:

• EU set to sign Mercosur deal;
• Over 20,000 farmers attend anti-Mercosur protest in Athlone;
• Beef factory fined 18 times for carcass trim breaches in 2025;
• Kepak reviews 'beef deboning and cutting operations' at Clonee site;
• Chinese market to reopen to Irish beef exports;
• Call for voluntary milk reduction scheme as prices drop;
• Prices of pints and postage to increase;
• What is Ireland’s favourite make of tractor?

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

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 AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Thijs Geijer, a senior sector economist at the Dutch banking group ING who specialises in the food and agriculture sector. 

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

• Mercosur deal reaching culmination;
• Possible boost farm payments in new CAP;
• Irish agri-food export hit record levels;
• 4,000 male cattle wanted for new live export contract;
• Agriculture remains most dangerous sector to work in.

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

*This podcast is brought to you by Nephin Renewable Gas, Irelands leading biomethane developers in Ireland.

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..

• New Years resolutions;
• How farming has changed over the years;
• Breifne's first business;
• Advice for young people looking to get into farming;
• The importance of making time for yourself as a farmer.

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

*This podcast is brought to you by Nephin Renewable Gas, Irelands leading biomethane developers in Ireland.

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 the this special Christmas episode we hear about..

• All things Christmas;
• Dream gifts;
• Eoin gives us an economics lesson;
• I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here;
• Eoin sings us out.

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

Francess McDonnell, Kathleen O'Sullivan and Cathal O'Shea bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes:

• Mercosur votes and protests;
• Bluetongue vaccines and cases;
• New planning exemptions for farmers;
• Work permit quotas;
• Milk cheque reductions;
• BVD Action Plan 2026;
• Boost for Agri-Food Regulator

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

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