Rachel Martin

Rachel Martin Profile Picture

Rachel Martin specialises in writing about agri-business, food production and dairying. Previously she worked as a business reporter at one of Northern Ireland’s biggest daily newspapers. In 2017, she was named one of IFAJ's 10 Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism. She is currently secretary of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists in Northern Ireland. When she’s not writing, Rachel can usually be found in the milking parlour at home in Co. Down with her family's 130 cows.

Dale Farm offers NI dairy farmers 3-year fixed-price contract
Dale Farm offers NI dairy farmers 3-year fixed-price contract

Dairy co-operative Dale Farm has launched a new fixed-price contract option to its milk producers in Northern Ireland. Due to...

Ideal Home project awarded Innovate UK grant for ground-breaking poultry house design
Ideal Home project awarded Innovate UK grant for ground-breaking poultry house design

A pioneering Northern Ireland project to shape the future of poultry houses has been successful in attracting funding from Innovate UK...

Poots warns British companies are ‘talking about pulling out of Northern Ireland’
Poots warns British companies are ‘talking about pulling out of Northern Ireland’

Businesses in England, Scotland and Wales are already “talking about pulling out of Northern Ireland” as a result of Brexit-related...

Somerset farmer fined £10,000 for breaching bovine TB rules
Somerset farmer fined £10,000 for breaching bovine TB rules

A Somerset beef farmer has been ordered to pay over £10,000 in fines and costs after admitting breaking laws that...

Poots to call for bigger budget for NI’s Farm Business Investment Scheme
Poots to call for bigger budget for NI’s Farm Business Investment Scheme

Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has said he will make the case to increase the budget for the Farm...

Poots announces £1.5 million boost for North Coast rural tourism
Poots announces £1.5 million boost for North Coast rural tourism

Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA has cut the first sod on a project that will form part of a...

Britain’s Avian Influenza risk raised to ‘high’ following 2 confirmed cases
Britain’s Avian Influenza risk raised to ‘high’ following 2 confirmed cases

The risk level of avian influenza establishing in wild birds in Britain has been raised from ‘medium to ‘high’ following...

NI poultry farmers urged to take action following bird flu cases in Kent and Cheshire
NI poultry farmers urged to take action following bird flu cases in Kent and Cheshire

Northern Ireland poultry farmers have been urged to take action now to reduce the risk of their flocks contracting Avian Influenza....

Time running out to grant special status for cross-border dairy companies
Time running out to grant special status for cross-border dairy companies

With just eight weeks to go until the end of the Brexit transition period and no ‘Plan B’ in place, time...

Covid TB test easements to end in NI
Covid TB test easements to end in NI

Temporary measures to stop herds overdue their TB test because of Covid-19 disruption from being closed up are set to...

QUB food fraud study finds locally-sold sage to be ‘heavily adulterated’
QUB food fraud study finds locally-sold sage to be ‘heavily adulterated’

A food fraud investigation carried out by researchers at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast...

3-part series ‘Tricked-Out Tractors’ to start on Monday
3-part series ‘Tricked-Out Tractors’ to start on Monday

A new three-part TV series has brought together a team of petrol heads who have been restoring beloved vintage tractor...

New report lays bare extent of NI agriculture’s phosphorus excess
New report lays bare extent of NI agriculture’s phosphorus excess

Farmers in Northern Ireland are over-applying phosphorus (P) by as much as 7,300t a year across the region according to...

Third tranche of FBIS Tier 1 to open for applications in NI
Third tranche of FBIS Tier 1 to open for applications in NI

The third tranche of Tier 1 of Northern Ireland’s Farm Business Improvement Scheme – Capital (FBIS-C), will open for applications...

Fane Valley Feeds makes moves to reduce carbon emissions by 34%
Fane Valley Feeds makes moves to reduce carbon emissions by 34%

One of Northern Ireland’s largest animal feed manufacturers Fane Valley Feeds has managed to lower its carbon emissions by more...

NI milk price round-up: September increases across the board
NI milk price round-up: September increases across the board

Milk prices are on the rise across all of Northern Ireland’s major milk processors, with most upping their offering for...

New agri-tech challenge offers £5,000 cash prize
New agri-tech challenge offers £5,000 cash prize

A new agri-tech competition, the Digging for Innovation Challenge, has been launched with a £5000 cash prize. The competition hopes to...

Over £275 million paid out in Direct Payments to NI farmers in first week
Over £275 million paid out in Direct Payments to NI farmers in first week

Just over £275 million has been paid out to Northern Ireland farmers in the first week of this year’s Direct...