A 28-year-old dairy farmer with a fondness for the annual “Pig and Porter” tag rugby competition has been chosen by Macra na Feirme as young farmer of the year.

INSURANCE premiums could come down next year because fewer people are making motor and property insurance claims.

GERMAN support for a strong farm budget cooled this week, with the EU’s biggest paymaster saying all financial decisions have to be seen within the overall context of the EU budget — which Germany wants to limit at no more than 1% of the EU’s GDP.

A SENIOR executive engineer with Mayo Co Council has appeared before a hearing of the Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission yesterday – the first formal investigation into a public service worker.

EUROPEAN farmers and co-ops have urged policymakers in Brussels to ensure that there is a competitive agri-food sector and a strong Common Agricultural Policy after 2013, to prevent a complete collapse of the market.

EU farmers’ leader Padraig Walshe warned this week that EU Commission plans to bring a much greater environmental focus into the CAP, and its trade talks with Latin American countries, could devastate agriculture.

A STRONG Common Agricultural Policy is needed in the future to strengthen the economic role that farmers play in providing food and services to 500 million EU consumers.

ACTION to prevent a new EU dairy crisis from emerging is being sought by Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella body for farmers and agri co-ops.

THE important economic role farmers play in providing food and services to society has been highlighted by Copa-Cogeca, which represents European farmers and agri co-ops.

THE future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must support farm incomes and address the issue of price and income volatility while at the same time avoiding market distortions.

THE European Commission has pledged to address any adverse impact on agriculture during relaunched trade talks with the Mercosur group of countries.

A LEGISLATIVE package to improve the functioning of the dairy sector is to be introduced by European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, by the year end.

IRISH and French farm leaders have agreed to work closely together to ensure that the European Union farm budget is maintained in its entirety and that the Common Agricultural Policy in the future continues to support agriculture and active European farmers.

EUROPEAN farm and co-op leaders have urged the new Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, to maintain Common Agricultural Policy direct aid payments to in a bid to safeguard a viable and competitive EU agriculture sector.

The President of the Irish Farmers Association says he is going to take a direct approach is his new role.

RETAILERS, processors and marketeers were yesterday accused by the new president of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) John Bryan, of having failed to return a price capable of providing a viable income for family farmers in all the main sectors.

The new president of the Irish Farmers Association said he will be seeking a compensation package for farmers affected by the cold snap.

The new leader of the country's largest farming organisation will formally take up his position today.

THE new president of the Irish Farmers Association, John Bryan, who takes up office today, will highlight the negotiation of the common agricultural policy budget as a major challenge of his presidency.

A NATIONAL helpline number to co-ordinate all requests from the public during the big freeze was sought yesterday by Irish Rural Link (IRL).

IRISH agriculture has a key strategic role in contributing to British and European Union food security, the Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe declared yesterday.

THE president of the Irish Farmers Association Padraig Walshe has strongly rejected suggestions from Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith that Ireland should examine alternatives to the historical basis used for calculating the single farm payment.

FARMERS across Europe are being suffocated by rock-bottom farm prices and high production costs, COPA-COGECA has warned.

The new president of the Irish Farmers Association faces a challenging year, according to the editor of the Farmers Journal.

Counting to elect the next president of the Irish Farmers' Association is underway this morning in Citywest in Dublin.

A CARBON tax of €15 per tonne was introduced on fossil fuels, and applied to petrol and diesel since last Thursday. It will apply to kerosene, marked gas oil (for agricultural use), liquid petroleum gas, fuel oil and natural gas from May 1, 2010.

A NEW quality payment system for cattle to be introduced for steers and heifers at meat factories on Monday has been hailed as a major advance by processors and as a positive step forward by producers.

THE introduction of a carbon tax will undermine the competitiveness of Irish exporters, give advantage to imported food products and place more jobs at risk in the food sector.

THE proposed electronic tagging of sheep will inflict serious economic and unnecessary damage on the industry in Ireland, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) warned yesterday.

AGRICULTURAL output has slumped 18.9% in 2009, according to an advance estimate by the Central Statistics Office.

FARM incomes have fallen by 30.3% this year, according to provisional CSO estimates published yesterday.

GREENHOUSE gas emissions from the European Union agriculture sector, notably livestock, have dropped sharply since 1990 but those in other sectors of the economy, such as transport, continue to rise.

IT was a battle between Meat-Free Monday and Give Meat a Chance in the European Parliament.

THE most important job farmers should do in December is to plan their cash flow for 2010, according to Teagasc.

THE Irish Farmers Association has renewed its opposition to the existing World Trade Organisation stance on agriculture.

BALLOTING to elect the next president of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) began last night. The first votes were cast in more than 70 of the IFA’s 947 branches countrywide.

THE impact of the flooding on farms in Co Galway was seen at first hand by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith when he visited some of the worst hit areas at the weekend.

FODDER deliveries were on the way last evening to farms isolated by the severe flooding in parts of Co Galway.

POLITICAL pressure looks likely to force Taoiseach Brian Cowen to increase the Government’s €10 million humanitarian fund while the Irish Red Cross has appealed for help to distribute hot meals and blankets to flood victims.

IRISH farmers were in Brussels to outline the scale of the flooding that turned thousands of acres into vast lakes across the country to European Union agriculture and rural development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

FARMERS are to get an an initial allocation of €2 million in emergency relief for flood victims, and the €45 second instalment of farm waste management scheme (FWMS) grants, and €39m of REPS payments, will be brought forward to December from early in 2010.

THE plight of farmers whose lands adjoin the River Shannon in six counties was highlighted yesterday as floods reached record levels.

NEW figures have shown how farmers have endured a 28% drop in income this year.

A SUM of €2 million is being allocated for a targeted fodder aid scheme, Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith announced yesterday after a cabinet meeting discussed the impact of the flooding on communities countrywide.