Articles by Aisling O,Aisling O'Brien

Technology

Met Éireann issues further weather warning for heavy rain

Met Éireann has issued a further Status Yellow weather warning for heavy rain tomorrow (Thursday, October 30). The national forecaster said that the most recent warning will apply to counties Galway and Mayo. The weather warning will be valid from 12:00p.m until 8:00p.m on Thursday. The heavy rain will bring a risk of possible localised flooding, difficult travel conditions and poor visibility. Met Éireann Met Éireann previously issued a Status Yellow rainfall warning for counties Cork and Kerry from 11:00a.m until 8:00p.m on Thursday. There is also a Status Yellow wind warning for counties Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Wexford from 11:00a.m until 11:00p.m on Thursday. The UK Met Office has issued a Status Yellow wind warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry. It said that a period of strong winds, accompanied by some heavy rain, could bring some disruption on Thursday afternoon and evening. The warning will be valid from 1:00p.m until 11:00p.m on Thursday. The unsettled weather conditions this week will bring a lot of rain and showers. As a result, Met Éireann said that rainfall amounts are expected to be above average across the country. The highest accumulations are forecast for the west and southwest where over 80mm can be expected. Mean air temperatures are forecast to be a degree or two above average for the coming week, ranging from 9° to 13°C. According to Met Éireann, most well and moderately drained soils are currently saturated, while most poorly drained soils are waterlogged or close to that. With showers and rain forecast this week, all well-drained soils are expected to remain or become saturated, while all moderately and poorly drained soils are expected to remain or become waterlogged.

4 days ago

Technology

Watch: Gorman ‘really concerned’ about nitrates derogation

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman has told Agriland he is "really concerned" about Ireland's nitrates derogation. Francie Gorman addressed the Kerry IFA county executive meeting at the Rose Hotel in Tralee last evening (Tuesday, October 28) where he spoke on a wide range of issues, including the retention of the derogation. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Kerry TD, Michael Healy-Rae. The nitrates derogation allows farmers to exceed the standard limit of 170kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare (kg N/ha) up to a maximum of 220kg or 250kg N/ha, while adhering to stricter rules to protect water quality. The current derogation is due to expire at year-end and securing an extension is a key government priority. Nitrates derogation The IFA will hold a national meeting on the retention of the nitrates derogation in Corrin Mart, Fermoy, Co. Cork next Monday (November 3) at 7:30p.m. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon is due to address the meeting. "We want everybody, young and old, the next generation of farmers who are coming home to farm, to come to that meeting and outline to the minister for agriculture, who will be our guest speaker on the night, why the derogation is so important to them. "It really is becoming crunch time now and decisions are going to be taken in Brussels," Gorman said. The IFA president believes the decision to be taken on the derogation will be the most important taken on dairy since the abolition of milk quotas. He will urge Minister Heydon and his department to engage with the stakeholders' group, including farm organisations and industry groups, and "come forward with a plan that's going to be workable at farm level". "It was a key ask in the Programme for Government that we would have a water quality committee chaired by the Taoiseach," Gorman added. "To be fair, I have spoken with him [Taoiseach Micheál Martin] on a number of occassions during the summer and he has put his name behind our campaign to hold onto it. "He's been in touch with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and that has fed through into DG ENVI beyond in Brussels. "We have put an amount of effort in at farm level in trying to improve water quality. I think if you look at the longer picture, the trend is positive. That needs to be taken into account. "It's not just about that, it's also about the economic survivability of farms here in this country," he said. The IFA president believes the visit of European Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswell to Ireland on Friday, November 7 is "a positive development". Minister Martin Heydon previously said that the purpose of the visit would be to "view first-hand the collaborative work being done" by the agri-food sector on improving water quality.

4 days ago

Technology

DAERA confirms brucellosis compensation rates for November

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has published the brucellosis compensation rates for Northern Ireland for November 2025. The department said that the compensation payable, for reactors and negative in contacts for which notice of intended slaughter is issued in November 2025 will be either: 75% of the animal’s market value or 75% of £3,504 (75% of £3,804 in the case of pedigree animals) The herdowner will receive whichever is the lesser payment applicable to them. Brucellosis Brucellosis is a highly contagious disease of cattle caused by a bacterium which spreads as result of animals coming into contact with infected female cattle, aborted foetuses or discharged placental tissues and fluids. According to DAERA, the disease can lead to an abortion storm in infected females and if it becomes established can lead to decreased milk yields, infertility, weak calves and serious financial loss. The department added that the disease is particularly dangerous to humans who come into contact with infected animals or material. Over the past 50 years, DAERA has undertaken a programme of compulsory testing of all breeding bovine animals, the removal and slaughter of infected and in-contact animals, the imposition of movement restrictions and follow-up testing on herds thought to be at risk. Female cattle and bulls over 24 months-of-age are eligible for testing at routine brucellosis blood tests. Cattle do not currently require a brucellosis pre-movement test. Farmers are compensated for losses in respect of animals slaughtered under the department's brucellosis prevention and eradication control programme. For both reactors and in contact animals, 75% of the animal’s market value based on an individual valuation or on an average of market prices (whichever is the lesser) is paid. Valuations are carried out by a DAERA livestock valuation officer and, in the case of a disagreement over the DAERA valuation, on a second individual valuation carried out by an independent valuer.

4 days ago

Technology

MEP: EU-India trade deal a ‘major opportunity’ for Irish whiskey

An EU-India trade deal would represent 'enormous potential' for Ireland’s spirits and drinks sector, according to an Irish MEP. Fianna Fáil MEP for the Midlands North-West, Barry Cowen is currently in New Delhi where he will meet with senior members of the Indian government today (Wednesday, October 29). The meetings are part of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) mission to India as a EU-India trade and investment agreement moves closer to completion. Barry Cowen, a member of the European Parliament’s INTA Committee, believes the emerging EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) represents a ‘major opportunity’ for Irish whiskey and other spirits exports. "The EU-India trade deal represents a vital opportunity to expand market access for Irish whiskey, currently facing prohibitively high tariffs in one of the world’s fastest-growing spirits markets. "This is a once-in-a-generation chance to create a level playing field for our producers in a country where consumer demand is rising sharply," he said. Data provided to MEP Cowen shows Irish whiskey exports to India have already grown tenfold over the past five years while still facing tariffs of approximately 150% under current import arrangements. The Fianna Fáil MEP will tell the Indian government ministers that a meaningful reduction of these tariffs would transform market access for Irish producers and drive new growth across Ireland’s wider agri-food and export economy. He will say that the recent UK-India trade deal, which cuts whisky and gin tariffs from 150% to 75% initially and further to 40% in 10 years, sets a benchmark that the EU must at least match. In addition to tariffs, the meetings will focus on market access, rules of origin, regulatory alignment and protecting the premium positioning of Irish spirits. "Securing a fair and ambitious agreement is essential to ensure Irish and EU spirits compete on an equal footing with Scotch and other global categories in this important market for Irish whiskey. "Anything less than parity with the UK-India deal would leave our exporters at a serious disadvantage," Cowen said. "It would also send a strong signal that the EU remains a credible, outward-looking trade partner committed to fair competition and quality," he added.

4 days ago