Farming Independent

25/11/2025

Sheep numbers are tight, and factories are feeling the squeeze, so prices are creeping up. ICM and Kildare Chilling have matched lamb quotes, while cull ewe prices are climbing too.

With throughput at an all-time low and competition for stock heating up, it’s a sellers’ market. But is this a real opportunity for farmers or just a sign that numbers will continue to shrink?

With numbers of sheep available on the ground limited, competition between plants has stepped up, and the ICM group lifted their quote for lamb midweek by 10c/kg to €7.60+20c/kg quality assurance.

25/11/2025

Looking to finance a new tractor or car?

With the demand for new farm machinery and vehicles higher than ever, many farmers are wondering how to make the most of the tax breaks on offer. But with so many finance options out there—lease finance, hire purchase, and personal contract plans—how do you know which one is best?

Martin O’Sullivan breaks it all down in this article that has been hugely popular this year:

✔️ How to avoid getting caught out by confusing APR rates
✔️ Why tractor finance can save you more tax than buying a car
✔️ The key differences between HP and lease finance for farm machinery
✔️ And why it’s worth having your accountant double-check the numbers

It’s not just about what you’re paying now, but what it’ll cost you long term. If you’re thinking about upgrading, don’t miss this guide on how to make the most of your investment and avoid unnecessary costs. https://www.independent.ie/farming/machinery/how-best-to-finance-a-new-tractor-or-car-and-make-the-most-of-the-tax-breaks/a718767368.html?bcrFallback=bcrFallback

25/11/2025

Legal advice: ‘I've been using my neighbour's laneway for as long as I can remember. Can the new owners lock me out of my land?’ https://www.independent.ie/farming/legal-advice/legal-advice-ive-been-using-my-neighbours-laneway-for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-can-the-new-owners-lock-me-out-of-my-land/a719141981.html

25/11/2025

Could Irish grain be the next boom?

After years of stagnant growth, Darragh McCullough suggests that Irish grain could be primed for a big bounce—just like the unexpected rise in suckler prices.

The growing demand for low-carbon, locally sourced grain could put Irish grain at the centre of a game-changing shift in Irish agriculture. But can the sector deliver?

As the dairy industry looks to lower its carbon footprint, could a switch to Irish grain provide the solution—and at little extra cost? “If this is already possible at little or no extra cost, why aren’t feed merchants fighting over scarce Irish grain supplies?” Darragh asks.

But it’s not just about dairy. If other sectors like pigs and poultry follow suit, the demand for Irish grain could surge.

Will this be the next big opportunity for Irish farmers?

Despite being threatened for years, the boom in suckler prices caught people unawares.

25/11/2025

Rural Ireland’s patience with the EU is wearing thin – and a backlash is coming.

From cuts to CAP payments to the Mercosur deal, Eddie Punch argues that the EU is losing touch with the needs of rural communities—and that frustration is building fast.

For too long, Irish politicians have been timid in defending Ireland’s interests in Europe, and now, with ongoing threats to the nitrates derogation and weak resistance to global trade deals, rural voters are starting to ask the tough questions. “How did we get a 22% cut in CAP budget in the same year we allowed a 99,000t Mercosur deal?”

As the EU’s relationship with rural Ireland begins to fracture, the next referendum could be a turning point. Are we prepared for the fallout?

"Repeated capitulation to the EU Commission is not helpful to maintaining the support of the wider public." — Eddie Punch

What do you think, are we at a tipping point? https://www.independent.ie/farming/comment/rural-irelands-patience-with-the-eu-is-wearing-thin-a-backlash-is-coming/a1782589541.html

25/11/2025

Can we incentivise intensive livestock farmers to export slurry—and tillage farmers to import it?

The Nitrates Sixth Action Programme is about to shake up the way we manage nutrient regulations, but what if the solution lies in a little cross-sector cooperation? PJ Phelan argues that we need to rethink the current approach—suggesting a system that helps both intensive livestock producers and tillage farmers.

Tillage farmers, struggling under new regulations, could benefit from a more flexible slurry system, while livestock producers are facing pressure from storage capacity limits and rising rental costs. Could a transport subsidy for slurry and a system for importing/exporting it be the answer?

“Perhaps what we need is an agreement where intensive livestock producers assist tillage farms in return for a commitment to take slurry from them.” — PJ Phelan

Life has not been simple for tillage farmers since they got involved with EU schemes and direct payments.

25/11/2025

Is there still value for money in weanlings this year?

Weanling prices have skyrocketed this year, leaving many farmers questioning if they’re still getting value for money.

At the Teagasc Beef Conference in Galway, beef finisher Thomas O'Connor highlighted the real challenge facing purchasers: “Is there such a thing as value this year? It’s hard to know.” But it’s not just about price, it’s about the health and quality of the animals when they arrive at the farm.

With so much money at stake, are weanlings still worth the investment?

Experts from marts and feedlots weighed in on what’s needed to ensure top-quality, healthy cattle—and why it all starts with the herd health at the farm level.

What’s your experience this year? Are you seeing value, or is the price just too steep? https://www.independent.ie/farming/beef/is-there-value-for-money-in-weanlings-this-year/a1009043412.html

25/11/2025

Tirlán warns of mid-thirties milk prices ahead as global market struggles continue.

Dairy farmers are bracing for further price cuts, with Tirlán predicting a dip to the mid-thirties in milk prices as early as the coming months. After slashing its October price by 4c/L, Tirlán CEO Sean Molloy says it’s going to be a tough period for farmers, but they're being given early guidance to help plan for what’s ahead.

“The markets are challenged, and there’s a lot more to go on than where we’re in a position that we’d like to be in.” — Sean Molloy

As weak global demand for dairy continues to drag down prices, the outlook for Irish dairy looks uncertain. But what does this mean for your bottom line as a farmer? Can the industry weather the storm, or is more trouble ahead?

Irish dairy farmers face continued price pressure as Tirlán has signalled that milk prices may fall to the mid-thirties in the coming months.

25/11/2025

Are stable beef prices a sign of better times ahead? Or just a brief lull before the storm?

After a few weeks of volatility, beef prices have finally stabilised this week. But for how long?

The past few months have been a rollercoaster for farmers, as processors tried (and failed) to rein in prices as supplies dropped. With numbers now creeping back up, the question remains: are we seeing a glimmer of hope, or is this just a brief respite before the market turns again?

In this week’s market report, we dig into the latest trends, what’s driving prices, and what the next few months might hold for finishers, store buyers, and those managing cull cows. And, crucially, what can farmers expect from processors moving into 2024?

"Factories won’t be able to magic up more numbers like mushrooms overnight. What beef is in the system now is what beef is in the system." — IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan

But with milk prices expected to drop and dairy farmers likely to move more cows into the market, are we looking at more downward pressure, or could this week’s stable prices be the calm before a more robust spring?

What do you think? Are we seeing signs of recovery, or is it just a waiting game? Drop your thoughts below.

https://www.independent.ie/farming/beef/are-this-weeks-stable-beef-prices-a-brief-respite-or-a-sign-of-better-times/a234658427.html

24/11/2025

An 81.5ac Limerick organic farm with a range of modern farm buildings, an older yard, a bungalow and a derelict cottage has come to market with a guide of €1.2m.

An 81.5ac Limerick organic farm with a range of modern farm buildings, an older yard, a bungalow and a derelict cottage has come to market with a guide of €1.2m.

24/11/2025

“If you want to mind cattle, you need to mind the time.”

That’s the line Aonghusa Fahy keeps in mind as he juggles teaching, hurling, family life — and a suckler herd. This year, he’s spent €8,200 on a SenseHub system to track heats, monitor rumination, and make AI more precise.

It’s a big spend, but he believes it’s worth it for better timing, smarter breeding, and, most of all, more hours back in the day.

Could this be the future for suckler farmers, or just another gadget?

Full column (paywalled) here — read how he hopes technology will change the breeding game.

There’s a line I think of often: ‘If you want to mind cattle, you need to mind the time’. Time is something I have less and less of every year.

24/11/2025

“First place to test a new product was the lab… the second was our kitchen table.”

Down by the Mahon, the Flahavan family is still keeping a 240-year-old mill alive, but the pressures are very 2025: labour headaches, space-age machinery squeezed into low ceilings, and a warning that the tillage sector is facing a “demographic time bomb”.

They’ve pulled out of animal feed, gone big on organic, and now rely on more than 200 growers. Opportunity or extra pressure on farmers — what do you reckon?

Full story (paywalled) here, if you want a look inside one of Ireland’s oldest family-run ag businesses.

On the banks of the River Mahon, Flahavan’s mill hums with activity. Visible from the Dungaravan to Waterford Greenway which follows the old railway line, the company employs over 140 people across the mill and bakery.