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. 

*This podcast is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance

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.

*This podcast is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance

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 sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance

*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. 

*This podcast is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance

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

*This podcast is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance

In the final episode of this season of Agriland's limited podcast series "the Dairy Trail", technical dairy specialist, Cathal O'Shea visited the farm of John Byrne in Co. Waterford. 

John is milking 220 cows just below the Comeragh Mountains in Dungarvan. 

He tells us what protocols are place for his to maintain his exceptionally low somatic cell count levels (SCC), in which he has won awards for.

John also talks us through the farms system, the infrastructure in place, breeding, grazing, and herd health.

We hear about the winter feeding system, the farm's dry off routine and what he is doing to push the herd to 560kg milk solids a year.

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

• Nitrates derogation confirmed;
• New Nitrates Action Programme finalised and what it means for slurry storage;
• Farm scheme payments round up;
• Latest on Mercosur;
• No cattle at Winter Fair due to bluetongue;
• Record sales for Irish whiskey.

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 sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance

*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 second episode we hear about..

• Eoin's family farm set up;
• Working with the NFL and TikTok;
• The importance of looking after your mental health at this time of year;
• Challenges facing young people in Ireland;
• Meeting Catherine Connolly.

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