New measures introduced under the EU Aid Package at national level should be co-funded, innovative, and young-farmer proofed, according to Macra na Feirme national president Seán Finan.

Traditional bank lending institutions have failed to understand the nature of the agri-food sector and its enormous potential for growth and profitability.

Macra na Feirme ex-president Alan Jagoe has been elected vice president of CEJA, the European Council of Young Farmers.

There will be a changing of the top guard at the annual general meeting of Macra na Feirme in Charleville next Saturday.

Farmers have welcomed the commitment by dairy co-ops and the Department of Agriculture to substantially increase the volume of fodder imports over the short-to-medium term.

The ICMSA and Macra na Feirme are urging Dairygold members to attend the joint AGM and SGM on Thursday, and to support the co-op’s investment plans.

A chemical engineer from Carrigane, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, and a barrister from Gurteen, Ballymore, Co Sligo, are the candidates at today’s election to select the next Macra na Feirme president.

Mandatory supports for young farmers in both pillars of the new CAP will mark an historic first, says Macra na Feirme president Alan Jagoe.

Moves are afoot to revive the Irish sugar industry but it will take a lot of knocking of heads together, writes Joe Dermody

Macra na Feirme has started the process of appointing a programme manager to promote land mobility countrywide.

Cork members won all three prizes at this year’s Macra na Feirme/Bank of Ireland National Leadership Awards, recognising their leadership skills within their clubs and the wider community.

Irish farms may be left without a next generation to work them after a study showed there was no successor primed to take over in almost half of all holdings.

Young farmers are breathing a sigh of relief as Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has allayed their fears over stamp duty.

A budget decision to end stamp duty relief on the transfer of farm land — which has been roundly criticised by farming groups — came as a shock to the agriculture minister, it emerged last night.

Farmers are reeling following cuts announced in yesterday’s budget to the Suckler Cow Scheme, the Sheep Grassland Management payment, and the non-renewal of the stamp duty relief on land transfers for young, trained farmers.

Members of Glanbia Co-op are already starting to focus on how they will manage their evolved milk processing responsibilities after their massive vote in favour of the Plc’s joint venture proposal.

Retention of farm supports will be a key topic in this weekend’s Macra na Feirme annual conference, which takes place in the Tower Hotel, Waterford.

Farmers at the Ploughing this week are being advised to check that they have the “EB” driver’s licence required for towing a trailer.

FarmSkills, launched last week, will provide farmers with practical animal health management skills, with a view to pre-empting problems and maintaining herd performance over the long-term.

Macra na Feirme and KW Forage Systems are inviting young farmers to compete in their joint annual silage competition.

There’s a joke going the rounds at the moment that undecided Fiscal Stability Treaty referendum voters may enjoy.

Kieran O’Dowd, Sligo, has been re-elected national chairman of Macra, with Michelle O’Callaghan from Cork and Sean Finan from Roscommon taking up the roles of national secretary and national treasurer.

It’s an exciting time for Macra na Feirme national president Alan Jagoe.

Farm safety will be the key focus of this year’s FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition, launched yesterday by Macra na Feirme.

New entrants to dairy farming over the past three years are budgeting for profitability of 5 cent per litre, equivalent to €422 per hectare, or €677 per cow.

Existing milk quota held by farmers as of March 2015 should form the basis of their future “licence” to supply their co-operative, according to 10 principles to guide post-quota expansion proposed by Macra na Feirme.

FARMERS have reacted positively to Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s unveiling of a series of measures aimed at encouraging the transfer of the family farm to the next generation.

Macra na Feirme, the national rural youth organisation, has slammed Minister Brendan Howlin's announcement of the €250 to be added to the student registration fee.

IRISH hopes of boosting some sectors of farm output by up to 50% over the next decade would be greatly enhanced if farmers adopted a farm partnership model, according to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

FARMERS have never been as positive or optimistic about their future in the industry, delegates at the opening of Macra na Feirme’s annual conference were told at Little Island, Co Cork, last night.

FARM groups have welcomed Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s decision to grant an extension for the spreading of slurry to October 31.

A COMPETITION to find top young dairy experts will come to a climax at the 29th National Dairy Show on Saturday, October 15 in Millstreet, Co Cork.