The selling of bank debt to vulture funds may be one of the factors behind a significant increase in the percentage of farmers saying their farm debt is too high, in the 2018 Irish Examiner/ICMSA Farming opinion poll.

Over a quarter of farmers have experienced difficulty in sourcing farm workers in the past year.

When 194 dairy farmers were asked about their herd size plans, in the Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll, the biggest response of 47% was in the “no change in my dairy output” category.

With the beef sector and the suckler sub-sector struggling, Daniel Hession goes through our poll results to discern farmer thinking on the road ahead for Ireland’s quality beef production.

Increased livestock deaths in the past 18 months on their farms were revealed by quarter of those who took part in the Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll.

Perhaps the most significant finding when 524 farmers were asked what kind of farming they will be doing in 2025 was that none anticipated being in forestry.

The results of this year’s Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll may point to a farming sector punch-drunk after the toughest winter-spring weather most of them have endured, followed by an unprecedented summer drought, with Brexit approaching like a rapidly changing tropical superstorm, writes Stephen Cadogan.

An astonishing 77% of farmers have said the Government should find a way to ensure that underused land is given over to growing fodder, when they were interviewed for this year’s Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll.

Ali, the boxer, said he “floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee”.

Fianna Fáil has been damaged by entering and sticking with the confidence and supply agreement with Fine Gael, a majority of farming voters believe.

Presidential pretenders, people power, and praying prelates permeated the ploughing pageantry in Screggan yesterday.

President Michael D Higgins has “never run away from a campaign” in his life and is looking forward to running for a second term in Áras an Uachtarain.

Doing the right thing can sometimes be a thankless task. Fianna Fáil’s decision to prop up Fine Gael from opposition in 2016 is looking increasingly unpopular.

All of us are, at most, only a few generations removed from the soil.

Urgent action must be taken to tackle rural homelessness as the crisis has spread far beyond urban areas, a housing charity has claim

Almost half of farmers believe protests by animal rights and vegan campaigners are having a bad impact on the rural community.

Rural dwellers are split as to whether they still have faith in the health service, with 46% claiming they do and 40% saying they do

New Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has been urged by farmers to provide a more visible police force for rural Ireland.

Biggest concern they express in ICMSA Farming Today survey is debt, and also complain of difficulty hiring staff, but two-thirds are otherwise positive, says Larry Ryan.

The National Ploughing Association has decided to postpone the second day of this year's Ploughing Championships until 11am.

Almost 40% of farmers believe Brexit will make a united Ireland more likely, with Sinn Féin responding to the finding by saying “the logic of the all-Island economy is unassailable and a United Ireland is inevitable”.

Fine Gael has seen a major drop in support among its traditional farming base, a national opinion poll for the Irish Examiner reveals.

Mary-Lou McDonald has failed to sway rural voters towards her party since becoming Sinn Féin president a new poll has revealed.

The farming sector is in reasonably good health — but Brexit, CAP reform and climate change could change the picture.

This is the sixth Irish Examiner national opinion poll of farmers and farm-dwelling adults undertaken in association with the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes.

The three-day National Ploughing Championships will be officially opened in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, at noon today by President Michael D Higgins.

With the number of targeted Government policy papers, action plans and long-term strategies published rural Ireland should have nothing to complain about.

The annual three-day event where the nation’s attention turns to all matters faming, food production and rural-related begins today, writes ICMSA president Pat McCormack

Almost one-in-three farmers admitted they have struggled to pay household bills in the past year, while there has also been a considerable increase in the number of those who said their level of farm debt was too high.

More than one-in-five farmers have said the impact of climate change could lead them to quitting the farm.

The Ploughing, one of Europe’s great festivals, begins tomorrow. A grand celebration of all things rural, it is the most popular outdoor trade event in the country.