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: 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: 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...
Opinion
Opinion: Farmers are fast-losing control over their destiny
It’s becoming very obvious to me that farmers are fast-losing control over their own destiny. So what do I mean...
N.Ireland
Opinion: New board at LMC is significant
The appointment of a new board at the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) is crucial for agriculture as a whole...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Agriculture is fast becoming a very exact science
Positive change is impacting on agriculture at an exponential rate. As a consequence, farming is fast-becoming a very exact science....
Opinion
Opinion: Keeping our children safe must always be a priority
The coming weeks will see large numbers of children exploring every nook and cranny of the farms they live on....
Opinion
Opinion: Chequered flag dropped on 2023 silage season
I have been speaking to a number of farmers and contractors off and on over the past few days, all...
N.Ireland
Opinion: These are heady times for the RUAS
This week marks the official launch of Balmoral Show 2023; it is the flagship event of the Royal Ulster Agricultural...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Gene editing and the law of unintended consequences
Rothamsted Research was very quick out of the blocks in welcoming the enactment of the UK’s legislation regarding gene editing,...
N.Ireland
Opinion: Is it time to take vets out of the bTB testing process?
So here’s a question – can we come up with an alternative plan to have herds effectively tested for bovine...
N.Ireland
Hail the humble brussels sprout
The humble brussels sprout is a ‘take it or leave it’ Christmas vegetable for many people. Personally, I love them....
N.Ireland
Opinion: The story of Christmas on a farm
The Christmas narrative, with its focus on the birth of Jesus in a stable, speaks volumes of the traditional role...
