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FARMING - PIGS and POULTRY

A collection of our latest farming news, views and analysis on the pig and poultry sectors.

<p>IFA poultry chair and poultry farmer Nigel Sweetnam, at his farm in Knockduff, Kinsale, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan</p>

farming

Poultry farmer's fears heighten after Fota outbreak of bird flu

IFA poultry chair speaks about poultry farmers' increasing worries surrounding bird flu and the current outbreak in Fota Wildlife Park

<p>A 2024 study found 22.8% of farmers were at risk of suicide.</p>

farming

Sowing mental wellbeing in farming

<p>Cattle Output Price experienced the highest spike of 53.8% including calves.</p>

farming

Cattle up 53.8% in agricultural price index for August 2025

Bird flu

farming

High alert as bird flu detected on farm in the North

Leading scientist from Denmark to feature as keynote speaker at Teagasc pig conference

farming

Leading scientist from Denmark to feature as keynote speaker at Teagasc pig conference

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

farming

Pig prices fall by a further 8c/kg

Brian Reidy

Hazell Mullins, Vet on the Moove

Kieran Coughlan, Farm Finance

Paula Hynes, Hoofing It

Butchers are cutting pork in the meat plant.

Pig throughput rises to 65,770

Average price for grade E carcasses in week 36 stood at €199.9/kg (excluding Vat)

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig prices hold steady amid tight supplies

Ireland’s percentage of the EU price was 102% of the EU average this week

Wed, 30 Jul, 2025

Indoors chicken farm, chicken feeding, farm for growing broiler chickens

Flat-rate Vat removal to cost average broiler farm €12,000 a year

The average overcompensation is around €12,500 per year, if the 560 or so poultry breeding, hatching and rearing farms in Ireland are included

Wed, 23 Jul, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig prices fall 20c/kg in two weeks

Supplies remain tight across Europe, and demand for live pigs in Ireland is still strong. Yet Ireland is the only member state to see two consecutive 10c/kg reductions

Wed, 16 Jul, 2025

Indoors chicken farm, chicken feeding, farm for growing broiler chickens

Is it the thin end of the wedge for flat rate Vat compensation scheme?

It has come to pass in the past week that minister for finance Paschal Donohoe has made the decision to remove the poultry broiler sector from the Vat flat rate addition scheme

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Four little pigs.

Top 25% of pig farms produce 29.3 pigs per sow per year

The data comes from 85 herds with more than 73,000 sows, or 55% of the total Irish sow herd

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Photograph by David Ruffles

Fall in sheep slaughter numbers reflect 'worsening situation' in sheep farming, ICSA says

Sheep slaughterings fell by 16.4% in the first five months of the year, CSO data shows

Wed, 02 Jul, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig prices steady at 228c/kg as supply and demand hold firm

Strong demand for pigs born and reared in Ireland is expected to continue into July

Wed, 25 Jun, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig price holds firm as demand grows for home-reared stock

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending June 15 was 64,762 head

Wed, 18 Jun, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig prices hold at €2.28/kg

The EU average price for week 22 for E-grade carcass was 212c/kg, excluding Vat

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig price outpaces EU average

Ireland’s pig price is currently 104% of the EU average price, as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing May 24.

Wed, 04 Jun, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Pig prices steady at €2.28/kg amid strong demand

Also, grain prices dropped sharply this week in both Europe and the US

Wed, 28 May, 2025

Egg Shortages Continue In The UK

Avian flu regulations are to be lifted at the end of this month

Mandatory biosecurity regulations on flocks, which have been in place since December of last year, will be lifted at the end of this month.

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig prices creep up as EU trade slows

Demand remains strong for Irish-born and reared pigs, with reports suggesting prices are edging closer to €2.26/kg

Wed, 14 May, 2025

Bird flu

Poultry housing order to protect flocks from bird flu to be lifted next month

Poultry biosecurity regulations introduced in December 2024 continue to remain in force

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

The best way to utilise pig slurry on tillage land

The best way to utilise pig slurry on tillage land

Targeting soils low in P and K is the best way to utilise pig slurry on tillage land, Teagasc advises

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig price rises 4c/kg amid strong EU demand and trade uncertainty

Ireland’s pig price remains 110% of the EU average, according to European Commission figures for the week ending March 29

Wed, 09 Apr, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Pig prices hold steady, signalling good demand

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending March 23 was 55,094 head

Wed, 26 Mar, 2025

HEALTH BirdFlu 12

UK detects world's first case of bird flu in a sheep

Many different mammals have died of the H5N1 bird flu virus across the globe including bears, cats, dairy cows, dogs, dolphins, seals and tigers

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

70% reduction in spring barley fertiliser costs possible with pig slurry

70% reduction in spring barley fertiliser costs possible with pig slurry

Along with providing financial savings, other benefits of using pig slurry in a tillage rotation include adding valuable organic matter to the soil, along with reducing the farm’s vulnerability to fluctuations in the cost of imported fertilisers

Fri, 14 Mar, 2025

US Inflation Tops Forecasts, Bolstering Case For Fed To Hold

Stephen Cadogan: Could Ireland become gripped by US egg-shortage conspiracies?

In the land of disinformation, and with the price of eggs rocketing, conspiracy theories about rampant bird flu abound

Wed, 19 Feb, 2025

Pig prices stabilise at €2.06-€2.10

Pig prices stabilise at €2.06-€2.10

There was no change in Irish pig prices on Friday last following the previous week’s drop of 4c/kg.

Wed, 29 Jan, 2025

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Irish pig prices hold despite EU slide

There was no change to Irish pig price on Friday, with producers reporting quotes ranging from €2. 08-€2. 12 available from processors in ROI. The SPP (Standard Pig Price – no premium) in the UK reported by AHDB currently is £2. 03/kg (€2.

Wed, 20 Nov, 2024

Meat industry. Fresh pork meat hanging in the butchery shop.

Pig prices unchanged at €2.08-2.12/kg

The weekly DAFM throughput for the week ending November 10 was 68,331, including 1,897 sows, which was 13,082 more than last week and 527 less than in the corresponding week in 2023.

Wed, 13 Nov, 2024

Egg Shortages Continue In The UK

Poultry farmers urged to be on bird flu alert

A case was also confirmed earlier this month at a farm in Yorkshire, England. The disease has also been detected in wild birds in Britain this autumn.

Thu, 07 Nov, 2024

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