BIRDWATCH Ireland has expressed horror after poisoners used three live pigeons tied to the ground to kill a pair of young buzzards.

SEVEN new farmers’ markets have been awarded the Good Practice Standard 2011-2013 by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

NEW restrictions on drainage of wetlands will have only limited impact on farmers, according to Junior Environment Minister Willie Penrose.

A MAJOR illegal fuel laundering plant has been uncovered hidden among bales of straw in a farm shed.

A major illegal fuel laundering plant has been uncovered hidden among bales of straw in a farm shed.

A FORMER vet has been fined €30,000 after he pleaded guilty to possessing a range of animal medicines without authorisation.

I AM a tenant of the Government and I lease a property in Killybegs, Donegal, from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Being a tenant of the State I get special treatment — eg no right to renew when lease expires, a rent-up only clause, I can be removed from property with six months’ notice and no compensation, and the property has very restricted uses. I have just had a 7.5% increase in rent, although rents in Killybegs have fallen by more than 40%.

A COMPOSTING plant in Co Tipperary has received the green light to produce high-end organic compost derived from food waste residue.

WE write as a concerned group of leading animal welfare organisations with extensive experience of greyhound welfare.

DAIRY farmers are going “off the grid” to slaughter cattle due to dissatisfaction at the prices being delivered by meat factories using the QPS beef grid, says the ICMSA.

THE Donkey Sanctuary in Co Cork dealt with a record 240 rescues last year, including one case where 25 animals were neglected on a farm.

THERE are 521 aquaculture licence applications awaiting determination, consisting of 271 applications for first-time licences and 250 renewal applications.

FOOD companies executives will be encouraged to complete Enterprise Ireland’s new Leadership 4 Growth programme, launched at the Irish Management Institute in Dublin.

FISHERMEN received a welcome Christmas bonus with an EU agreement on quotas for 2011 worth €233m to the Irish fishing industry.

THE newly formed Horticulture Action Group is to meet for the first time tomorrow to discuss its implementation of the Food Harvest 2020 Report.

COILLTE has officially opened enhanced forest recreational facilities at Belleek Wood, Ballina, Co Mayo.

FARMERS are being urged to submit their REPS 3 application claim forms as soon as possible, as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hopes to issue payments before the end of this year.

A SUSPECTED foot-and-mouth case has added to concerns among veterinary surgeons about diminishing numbers in the Irish State veterinary service.

TIMBER company Medite has developed an ultra-light medium density fibreboard (MDF) wood product which is set to be launched onto the European market.

DAIRY and beef farmers will save €2.5 million annually thanks to the relaxation of brucellosis blood testing for suckler and dry stock herds, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

AGRICULTURAL scientists agree with Ireland’s farming groups that regulations on the spreading of nitrates should be defined by climactic conditions rather than adhering to strict calendar months.

CHARITIES will be invited to collect boxes of cheese for distribution to those in need from November 15.

OLD fishing nets are to be recycled to create an eco-friendly underwater protection barrier for New Ross Marina, Co Wexford.

A STEADILY increasing number of farmers report they have been receiving their disadvantaged area and single farm payments this week.

SALES of eggs and poultry have risen 5% and 6% over the past year, according to new figures from Bord Bia.

NEW regulations have been announced to stop the illegal poisoning of birds of prey and other animals with meat baits.

A HUGE number of farmers are still awaiting their initial Disadvantaged Area Scheme (DAS) payments, according to Ireland’s main farmer representative groups.

FORESTATION grants, advice on aquaculture and organic farming and a guide to all the schemes and funding sources available to every Irish farmer and fishing sector worker – they’re all contained in one compact new booklet.

EARMARKED recipients for €1.75 million in capital grants for seafood processing and aquaculture projects have said that being given six weeks in which to order, purchase and install new equipment is too tight a timeframe.

THE food and forestry sectors are underused and offer great potential to compete internationally and boost exports, according to Engineers of Ireland president Martin Lowery.

I WISH to correct a number of erroneous statements attributed to Senator Paudie Coffey throughout the article headlined “Oak forests at risk from ‘killer tree fungus’ ” (August 25).

A PROPOSAL to make an advanced payment as opposed to a full payment for disadvantaged areas from next week was described by the Irish Farmers’ Association as a body blow to low-income farmers anxiously awaiting the full amount.

THE 2011 bioenergy scheme will be formally announced in the coming weeks, JHM Crops, based in Adare, Co Limerick, has claimed following discussions with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

MINISTER for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, has welcomed the decision by the Russian authorities, to raise the age-limit above which slaughtered animals must be tested for BSE from 30 months to 48 months, in respect of exports of beef from Ireland to Russia.

PRODUCERS, retailers and farmers’ markets nationwide will host more than 70 events countrywide during National Organic Week.

A DECISION by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to reopen Castlemaine Harbour in Co Kerry for sourcing mussel seed has been welcomed in the area.

A DECISION by the Russian authorities to raise the age-limit above which slaughtered animals must be tested for BSE in respect of beef exports to the country from Ireland has been welcomed by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith.

AN UNUSUAL harvest in west Cork this winter could help to deliver a multi-million euro industry.

THE deadline for the receipt of application forms for the fourth National Organic Awards is next Monday.

WITH poisoning of foxes and crows now illegal, farmers are being urged to find other ways of controlling pests, especially those that prey on young lambs.

A THREE-year strategy to create 600 jobs and an additional €50 million in value added sales was launched for the Irish seafood industry yesterday.

THE historic role of the Royal Dublin Society in developing Irish forestry was highlighted at Donadea Forest Park, Kilcock, Co Kildare, when details of this year’s national forestry awards were announced.

NEW legislation on horse passports is being finalised by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.