N.Ireland
Opinion: No show like an agri show in Northern Ireland
It’s over – so ends another agricultural show season in Northern Ireland – possibly the best and most vibrant in...
Opinion
N.Ireland
Opinion: Modern farming practices must be made safer
Modern farming practices are centred on the use of machinery and equipment that are powerful and highly sophisticated. They also...
Opinion
Opinion: Resilience is the new watchword as machinery sales lag
It has been a disappointing sales season for the machinery trade, but it was not unexpected as many companies were...
N.Ireland
Opinion: What does the UK election result mean for farmers in NI?
So, as many had previously predicted, we now have a new government in London, courtesy of the 2024 UK general...
N.Ireland
Opinion: UK general election throws up shocks aplenty
Every general election will throw up its fair share of ‘shock results’. And the 2024 ‘dash for Westminster’ was no...
Opinion
Opinion: Will the weather play ball as Midsummer’s Day looms?
Midsummer’s Day is almost with us and a good week’s weather right now could do Irish agriculture a power of...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Hogget pieces for sale at £24/kg in Bristol
Hogget pieces for sale in a butcher’s shop at £24/kg is not fantasy. In fact, it’s exactly what shoppers in...
N.Ireland
NI’s new farm minister must secure agriculture’s fair share of a £3.3bn windfall
What proportion of the additional £3.3bn now on-offer from London will Northern Ireland’s (NI) new farm minister seek to secure...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Northern Ireland set to have a new agriculture minister
Assuming everything goes according to plan up at Stormont, Northern Ireland could have a new agriculture minister within days. Traditionally,...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Is artificial intelligence doomed?
Many machinery companies have been rushing forward with plans to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into their products believing that it...
Opinion
Opinion: Farmers are at heart of rural communities, especially in snow
It amazes me at just how little is picked up by the general media about the vital role that farmers...
Opinion
Opinion: Did you turn the tap off in the yard?
At the tender age of 15, I was asked the following, very direct question – did you turn the tap...
Machinery
Opinion: The Christmas present I wanted but never received
I am sure that we have all longed for a certain Christmas present that never materialised. Here’s my story. I...
Opinion
Reflection: Holly – the first sign of Christmas
The first sign of Christmas at home, was my father going out with a set of cutters and coming back...
Opinion
Opinion: Will sexed semen revolutionise dairy breeding?
The point was made to me recently that the use of sexed semen will not deliver real benefits under Irish...
Opinion
Opinion: Words can’t describe how important child farm safety is
This week has been marked by the launch of the 2024 ‘Child farm Safety Calendar’. It is themed ‘Avoid harm...
Opinion
Opinion: Is robotic milking the future of farming?
I had the opportunity of visiting two robotic dairy units of late, where the difference in milking speeds has been...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Growing crops is a world of opportunity for Irish farmers
In my opinion, the recent AgriCare tillage conference helped to reset the ‘optimism’ button for farmers committed to growing crops...
