Department of Agriculture

Katrina Godfrey

Stormont official accepts responsibility for Fivemiletown cattle cull

Irish Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon

Macra welcomes Minister Heydon’s commitment to generational renewal

Macra president Josephine O’Neill

Macra demands DAFM expedite shock 11-day delay to farm payments

Macra president Josephine O’Neill

Macra warns of tillage succession crisis as 676 farmers exit in 2026

At the start of October 1993, Saville Tractors showed off their comprehensive range of new products at their new premises in Hillsborough at a special open day which attracted a large crowd of interested customers. Visitors to Saville’s open day get a close-up view of the all-new Merlo P20.6SC in action at the company’s new Hillsborough premises. Picture: Farming Life archives/Darryl Armitage

Chernobyl fallout hits sheep farms across Province (September 1987)

MLA Diana Armstrong

New AERA chair commits to working with grassroots farming families

Macra president Josephine O’Neill

‘Final nail in the coffin’: Macra slams €26m agriculture cuts

Patrick Brady and Mick Larkin of the Irish Land Mobility Service

Lakeland Dairies has announced renewed support for generational renewal

Declan McAleer

'Serious contradictions' in DAERA response to potential fertiliser shortages

George Bellingham's farm shop

‘This is the kind of story our community should share and celebrate’

Macra president Josephine O’Neill

Macra welcomes emergency measures but ‘time ticking for young farmers’

Niamh presenting the results of their survey to members of the Oireachtas in Leinster House

Monahans farm in Co. Monaghan and have endured four dog attacks in five years

‘Farm Wiser to Farm Longer’ campaign launched

New health and safety campaign targets older farmers

The All-Island Disease Surveillance report 2024 is an important aspect of sharing animal health surveillance data with stakeholders across the island.

The All-Island Disease Surveillance report 2024 published

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No sales at Saintfield mart due to Bluetongue restrictions

Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Michael Healy Rae with Senator Daly

"Two fifths of all workplace deaths happen in agriculture" - Senator Daly
Fianna Fáil Senator Paul Daly has renewed his call for the establishment of a dedicated ‘farm safety agency’ during the first ever Seanad session focused solely on farmer mental health.
By The Newsroom

Nigel Dodds

House of Lords Select Committee hears ‘alarming evidence’ on vet meds

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Avian Influenza Prevention Zone to be introduced in Northern Ireland

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Beef and sheep farmers struggling

Today, Friday, 30 May is International Potato Day. In December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed 30th May as International Potato Day, recognising the crop’s critical role in global food security

Celebrating the global impact of the potato on International Potato Day

The deputation from the Northern Ireland Shows Association that visited Stormont earlier this week, l to r: Brain Lockhart, chairman; Rhonda Geary, secretary and Marjory Blackburn, Northern Region Chair, Irish Shows Association. (Pic: Freelance)

Shows Association discusses DAERA funding opportunities with Stormont agricultur...

Robin Swann MP with Randalstown and District Beekeepers Association at Ballynure Village Ballynature Day.

Health of our bee population in Northern Ireland is crucial to our environment

The Teagasc Forestry Development Department has announced an upcoming series of events to support forest owners impacted by recent storms, running between April 1 and 15, 2025

Post storm Teagasc timber harvesting and marketing events

Derek Espie, Cookstown, and John Weir, Ballyclare, taking control of Clydesdales Bob and Billy during the Mullahead ploughing matches in 2014. Picture: Gavan Caldwell

Charolais heifers enjoy a ‘tremendous trade’ at breed sale at Balmoral (1977)

Patsy McGlone MLA.

'Time for meaningful action' as cost of TB over past five years is revealed

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA. (Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye)

Minister reflects on his first year in role and looks ahead with 'optimism'

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Sheep farmers feel forgotten
SHEEP farmers are the ‘forgotten’ men and women of Northern Ireland agriculture.
Steven Moore

ABP Food Group has become the first Irish beef processor to launch in the South Korean market by securing an export agreement with K Meat, a premium meat importer with advanced sales channels across South Korea. Pictured are representatives from K Meat with ABP beef products shipped from ABP locations in Monaghan, Tipperary, and Wexford. (Pic: Freelance)

ABP becomes the first Irish beef processor to export to South Korea

All set for the 104th Antrim Show on Saturday, July 24, 2010, are, chairman, James Clements, host, Shane O'Neill, Shane's Castle Estate, and secretary, John Herron. Picture: Farming Life archives/Julie Hazelton

Bygone Days: Inspection made flax-growing plots in the neighbourhood of Colerain...

Alan Dillon, DairyBeef500 programme, Professor Pat Dillon, head of research in Teagasc, Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc director, and Dr Nicky Byrne, Teagasc beef researcher, Grange

Twelve DairyBeef factsheets launched by Teagasc at Beef2024 Open Day at Grange

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Call for BVD restrictions after flurry of new cases

Rev Dr Sam Mawhinney, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Presbyterian Moderator describes the day that changed everything

Robin Swann MLA

Swann highlights concern over ongoing bTB crisis

Rathlin Harbour pictured in 2006. Picture: Farming Life archives/Kevin McAuley

Bygone Days: Urgent need of a harbour for Rathlin Island raised in House of Comm...

Ministers Muir and McConalogue pictured in Donegal last week. (Pic: DAERA)

Ministers Muir and McConalogue launch €9 million Shared Island funding call

UFU policy, technical and communications manager James McCluggage, UFU deputy president John McLenaghan, UFU president David Brown, UFU deputy president William Irvine and UFU CEO Wesley Aston attended the meeting with Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir MLA. (Pic: UFU)

UFU meet newly appointed Agriculture Minister

Pictured at the announcement that Irish Soil Expert Consortium (ISEC) will undertake analysis of approximately 90,000 soil samples from Irish farms over the next year on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine were Minister for State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett along with representatives from the organisations who make up ISEC (left to right) Colin Donnery of FRS, Seamus O’Mahony of Dairygold, Minister Hackett, Pat Murphy of Teagasc, Michael Murphy of Southern Scientific Services Limited, ISEC Chairman, Michael Cronin and Karen Kenny of FBA Laboratories. (Pic: E O`Daly -Outdoor Studio)

Department awards contract which will see 90k soil samples analysed

UUP MLA Tom Elliott. (Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye)

DAERA in the firing line

Following on from last year’s ‘The Business of Breeding 2022’, this survey places more of an emphasis on the requirements of equine operations around the country from a personnel perspective. (Pic: HSI)

HSI launches equestrian industry sentiment survey

The Leatherjacket Mitigation Strategies EIP project was led by AgriSearch

The project comprised of four farmers from County Fermanagh

Watching the judging at the Ulster Ayrshire Cattle Club’s show and sale at Ballyclare Mart in March are Brian King, secretary, Ballymena, Jack Liggett, Tandragee, and James Getty, Kells, club chairman. Picture: Farming Life/News Letter archives

Hill farmers fury as fertiliser aid is ‘chopped’ without any forewarning (1983)

Newry Agricultural Show Committee Chairman, Brian Lockhart (centre), with the two speakers at this year's show launch event. Adam Smyth (left) is on work experience with Alltech and is about to enter his final year studying for a CAFRE/QUB degree in agricultural technology. John Fegan is a member of staff at CAFRE's Greenmount College.

bTB almost derails Newry Show 2023

Tom Elliott

NI budget will add further financial squeeze to agriculture

Carrying in the straw at Balmoral Show in May 1991 was no problem for Gillian Gibson from Ballygowan, the secretary of the new junior Blonde d'Aquitaine Club. Picture: Eddie Harvey/News Letter/Farming Life archives

Take a walk down memory lane at the 1991 Balmoral Show

Mr J Hutchinson of Moneymore, Co Londonderry, with his Charolais champion bull at the Automart show and sale in Portadown in October 1982. Picture: Farming Life/News Letter archives

Bygones Days: Department accused of pushing up land prices (1984)

Reward offered after theft of 200 acres worth of grass seed

Calls for full investigation into 400 dead calves on Limerick farm

Environment Minister Edwin Poots pictured with Ballyclare Primary School pupil Jack Pollock and Jim Gregg from the Six Mile Water Trust at the launch of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency ‘Yellow Fish’ campaign; a simple water pollution prevention tool that aims to raise awareness of water pollution and positively engage local communities and businesses.

Environment Minister announces ‘Yellow Fish’ campaign

Members of the Multi-Species Sward for Beef & Sheep EIP Group at a visit to UCD Lyons Estate in October.

Webinar to highlight on farm experiences of establishing multispecies swards

A new case of avian flu has been found in Enniskillen.

Department of Agriculture warning about new case of avian flu

UFU president Victor Chestnutt, Robert Workman, farmer in Larne and DAERA Minister Edwin Poots.

Future Agricultural Policy consultation is a ‘major milestone for the industry’

Bird flu: Poots gives update on largest ever outbreak of avian influenza

UFU welcomes minister’s £12,000,000 scheme announcement

Reduced labour availability in local pig processing plants is now causing huge financial pressure on farms. The labour shortage has been hitting Northern Ireland pig producers for some time now. UFU Victor Chestnutt, who has met with industry representatives on the need for a workable solution, said: “The industry’s ability to handle the number of pigs that must be processed each week has to be addressed.”

Pig producers are in middle of a ‘perfect storm’

New members appointed to AFBI board

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