Agri Politics
The cost of overseas visits by ministers and senior officials from DAFM for the St. Patrick’s Day programme could total nearly €64,000.
Agri-Business
Consideration may be given to support further development of smaller abattoirs/processors, Minister Martin Heydon said.
Schemes
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has announced the opening of year four of the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) to new entrants.
Bluetongue vaccination will be an option in the 2026 beef and sheep welfare schemes, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon confirmed.
Ireland's preparations for its presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026 are underway.
Rural Life
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon seems to have ruled out a compensation scheme for farmers whose livestock is impacted by dog attacks.
Beef
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) carries out physical inspections on all beef imported from Brazil into Ireland.
Tillage
Growing capacity in processing "will be a real incentive" for tillage farmers to look at milling wheat as a "greater value-added opportunity".
Sheep
A TD has raised concern around the risk posed by bluetongue to sheep.
Pig/Poultry
Irish table egg production has been increasing over the last number of years, Minister Martin Heydon said.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has outlined rules on sheep (ovine) semen imports into Ireland.
The new Animal Health Strategy will be published in Q2 of 2026, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has said.
Minister Martin Heydon has announced changes to the BVD Financial Support Programme for animals disclosed as positive in 2025.
Farmers are seeking an "immediate increase" in compensation for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) persistently infected calves.
Payments totalling €9.8 million have issued to applicants under the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS).
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has ruled out a reintroduction of the National Liming Programme.
A key closing date for certain applications for TAMS has been extended until nearly midnight next Friday (March 13).
N.Ireland
Ministers Martin Heydon and Andrew Muir, have welcomed the alignment of horse traceability rules in Ireland and Northern Ireland
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said the Moscha Swivel Spout is not an accepted form of Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS).
DAFM has reported progress on the Wall Report Action Plan, which aims to improve equine welfare and traceability.
Gardaí are investigating a complaint lodged by the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, in relation to his constituency office in Kildare.
Farmers protested at Minister Martin Heydon's constituency office in Co. Kildare as the dispute over Bord Bia chair Larry Murrin continues.
Farm Safety
A group of girls in TY created a video to promote awareness, education and prevention on the farm by showing how easily accidents can occur
