Ireland has brokered a landmark regional deal between six EU countries to reduce fish discards — the wasteful dumping at sea of millions of tonnes of perfectly good fish.

Industry leaders took time to honour an agrifood legend with the launch of the €4.5m Paddy O’Keeffe Innovation Centre at the Teagasc campus in Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork.

Francis Connors retained his Connolly’s Red Mills Munster Grand Prix League title at Banteer Show, Co Cork, yesterday.

The first Irish equines exported to China under a ground-breaking protocol signed last July arrived last Monday.

Teagasc has warned of a crisis in its staffing levels because of the Government’s moratorium on jobs in the public sector.

Brendan Gleeson, Dr Karina Pierce and Tom Tynan have been appointed to the Teagasc authority for a five-year term by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

Shane Sweetnam scored a third place in yesterday’s feature class on day two of the $4m FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, having notched up back-to-back victories on Wednesday.

Agriculture and food development authority Teagasc made a loss of almost €1m in 2011, after recording a surplus of €3.4m in 2010.

Gardaí in Cork are appealing for the public's help in tracing a missing teenager.

One51 says it is likely to suffer further “significant” losses this year, adding that its recovery will be “a multi-year turnaround” programme.

Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor ensured himself a fitting send-off from the Discover Dublin Horse Show yesterday when third in the €200,000 Longines Grand Prix.

A truck driver who was sacked after pulling in on a motorway to take a call from The Gerry Ryan Show has been awarded €32,000 by an Employment Appeals Tribunal.

A truck driver who lost his job after pulling in on a motorway to take a call from The Gerry Ryan Show has apologised to his former employers for any “problems” he caused them.

NATIONAL agri-food training and research body Teagasc is optimistic that Ireland is on track to achieve the ambitious growth targets over the next decade.

TIPPERARY dairy and beef farmer Tommy Cooke has been appointed to the board of Teagasc by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

STUDENTS welcomed the unveiling of three new agriculture and horticulture courses at Teagasc’s Education Conference in Dublin Castle on Thursday.

ONE51 boss Philip Lynch bowed to shareholder pressure and disclosed to the group’s well attended AGM in Dublin yesterday that he was paid €1.4 million last year, despite presiding over losses of nearly €100m in the previous three years.

THE 2020 Strategy Committee for agri-food, forestry and fisheries is drawn from senior experts and participants in all aspects of the sector.

FARM income is expected to improve this year, following a 30% drop in 2009, Teagasc economists predicted yesterday.

A man who brutally robbed and killed an 83-year-old man in Co Westmeath last year will be sentenced next week.

A teenage boy has appeared in court this afternoon charged with the murder of a 40-year-old man in Limerick over two years ago.

A man has been found guilty of robbing and killing 83-year-old Christy Hanley in Co Westmeath last year.

A jury at the trial of a man accused of murdering 83-year-old Christy Hanley in Westmeath last year has been sent home for the night.

A charge of murder against the man accused of killing 83-year-old pensioner Christy Hanley in Westmeath last year has been reduced to manslaughter.

A Judge at the Central Criminal Court has instructed a jury to find a man not guilty of murdering 83-year-old Christy Hanley but to consider whether or not the accused is guilty of manslaughter.

Fingerprints and DNA of the man accused of murdering 83-year old pensioner Christy Hanley in Westmeath last year were found on a belt that had been tied around the deceased man's wrists, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

There has been a day of legal argument in the absence of the jury at the trial of a man accused of murdering an 83-year old pensioner in Westmeath last year.

There has been a day of legal argument in the absence of the jury at the trial of a man accused of murdering an 83-year old pensioner in Westmeath last year.

A pensioner was found dead in his home in Kilbeggan last year after he was tied up and beaten, having received “blows, punches and kicks” to the face and head, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

A pensioner who was found dead in his home in Co Westmeath last year exchanged €400 worth of coins for notes in a pub on the day he was allegedly robbed and murdered, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

An 83-year old pensioner, who was found dead and tied up at his home in Co Westmeath, was beaten to death and robbed of cash, the prosecution claimed today at the trial of the man accused of the pensioner's murder.

The trial of the man accused of murdering 83-year old Christy Hanley in Co Westmeath last year will begin on Thursday at the Central Criminal Court.

HUNDREDS of fishermen are being asked to hang up their nets under a €42 million government payoff that will reduce the national fleet by a third.

FISHERMEN yesterday gave a guarded welcome to a new 597million Government strategy for the seafood industry.

COMMUNICATIONS and Marine Minister Noel Dempsey has challenged all sectors of the Irish fishing industry to adapt urgently or die.

MARINE stakeholders were urged yesterday to feed into an independent review of Ireland’s €700 million seafood industry to ensure its future profitability and sustainability.

A DECISION to set up a group to oversee a long-awaited seafood strategy initiative has been praised by the body representing the €110 million Irish aquaculture sector.

TWO dairy industry leaders have now identified surplus milk production as the root cause of difficulties in the industry in the EU.

TWO dairy industry leaders have now identified surplus milk production as the root cause of difficulties in the industry in the EU.

IRELAND and 12 other member states have taken on the European Commission, as it bids to accelerate dairy export subsidy cuts towards their promised elimination by 2013.