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AgriFocus

AgriFocus

Hosted by Agriland

BusinessNews
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Episodes

67

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN

About the show

The Agri Focus Podcast Series is brought to you by the team in Agriland. In each episode Stella Meehan, joined by an industry expert , takes a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers and farming, rural communities and the agricultural sector both in Ireland and beyond.

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60 recent
August 7, 202627 min

How serious is the threat of bluetongue to Irish agriculture?

In recent weeks, cases of bluetongue have significantly increased in parts of England and Wales, particularly the south-west of England around Devon and Cornwall.The data at the moment indicates that the animals most affected in those areas are sheep, cattle and one llama.Naturally, livestock owners on this side of the Irish Sea are concerned about the potential spread of the disease from the UK, especially given that the cases so far detected in Ireland earlier this year resulted from infection possibly last autumn.Agriland Editor Stella Meehan is joined on AgriFocus by Dr. Avril Hobson from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the National Disease Control Centre to discuss the important and urgent information livestock owners need to know.Farmers and herd owners can also help in the research and monitoring of the virus by providing vital information, so tune into AgriFocus to find out what you need to do

July 27, 202622 min

Why farm incomes are set to fall in 2026

What does the rest of 2026 have in store for Irish farmers?The latest Teagasc outlook points to a tougher year ahead, with falling dairy and cattle prices, rising costs and global economic uncertainty combining to squeeze farm incomes.In this episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan chats to Trevor Donnellan, head of the agricultural economics and farm surveys department with Teagasc. Trevor outlines why lower milk prices are set to sharply reduce margins on dairy farms this year.On this epsiode he also discusses the volatility in milk prices and why the short-term is going to be challenging for the dairy sector.

July 7, 202615 min

Live from Strasbourg with MEP Billy Kelleher

Ireland has officially taken the helm of the EU Council Presidency for the next six months.But what does that mean in practice, and what can Ireland hope to achieve for Irish farmers?In this episode of AgriFocus MEP Billy Kelleher chats to Agriland editor Stella Meehan at the European Parliament in Strasbourg about why the Presidency matters, the priorities Ireland is bringing to the table, and what its leadership could mean for Europe.

June 9, 202615 min

Who are the key players impacting beef markets?

In this episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan is joined by Matthijs Bremer and Manuelle Iamakami from DCA Market Intelligence to discuss the situation with beef markets and the continuing drop in beef price.DCA Market Intelligence, formerly DCA-Markets, is part of DCA Groep B.V. Since 2005, it has grown into a trusted Price Reporting Agency (PRA) with a mission to turn market developments into transparent, independent data and insights that support businesses across the food and agriculture industry.Beef price has taken a tumble in Ireland over the past few months and the impact of quotas in China and lower consumer demand due to cost, are having a big effect on the sector.

May 5, 202616 min

What’s happening with land sales, prices and ageing farmers?

Inheritance and retirement continue to drive Irish farmland sales according to a major new report.The latest Annual Agricultural Land Market Review Outlook 2026 report produced by Teagasc and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) highlights that succession and probate sales "are among the most common sources of land coming to market".This year’s annual survey, the 13th in the series, provides an analysis of Ireland’s agricultural land market performance in 2025.It shows that farmland values for poor quality and good quality land last year were €6,963 per acre and €14,126 on average, respectively.The report also identifies that rental values in 2025 also rose by 10% on average across all farming uses.Find out what drove agricultural land trends last year and what’s the current state of the Irish agricultural land market in 2026 in this podcast with Francess McDonnell and Dr. Frank Harrington, chair of the SCSI’s Rural Agency and Discipline Lead of Real Estate and Valuations at TU Dublin.

April 21, 202615 min

From grass to global, lifting the lid on Ornua

One of Ireland’s biggest dairy powerhouses, Ornua, has just reported a solid year with turnover up to €3.5 billion and profits which held firm despite turbulent global markets.The Kerrygold owner pumped over €1.8 billion back into Irish co-ops and also paid out €74.3 million in member bonuses, which highlights its role at the heart of the country’s rual economy.Meanwhile, Kerrygold continues its global march, smashing through $1 billion sales mark in the US and landing in more homes than ever before.Find out more in this podcast about how Ornua is doubling down on its international ambitions - while insisting there’s still huge untapped potential in Irish dairy - with Agriland editor, Stella Meehan and Conor Galvin, CEO, Ornua.

April 7, 202624 min

The future for the beef market with Bord Bia's Mark Zeig

Earlier this year, Dutch supermarket group Jumbo confirmed that it intends to slowly remove Irish beef from its shelves as part of its new supply chain policy.This is a policy that involves creating a fully Dutch beef supply chain.But what does this mean however for Irish farmers and what if other countries follow suit? Agriland editor, Stella Meehan sat down with beef sector manager at Bord Bia Mark Zeig to discuss this prospect.In this podcast, he discusses cattle supply, consumer preference, food inflation and what the Mercosur deal might mean in the short-term.

March 25, 202621 min

Middle East impact and Oz trade deal

On this episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan is joined by Simon MacAllister, EY Ireland Partner and Co-Head of Geopolitical Strategy to chat about the EU-Australia Freed Trade Agreement and its effects, especially with everything that is currently going on in the Middle East at the moment.They discuss the immediate impact of oil prices, the challenges faced as a result of a reduction in gas supply and the differing views on the latest trade deal between the EU and Australia

March 10, 202628 min

What the Middle East conflict could mean for Irish fertiliser prices

The conflict in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global agriculture.It has also shone the spotlight firmly on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane that normally carries roughly a quarter to a third of the world’s nitrogen fertilizer exports.What will this mean for Irish farmers who rely heavily on imported fertiliser?In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Sam Taylor an executive director with RaboResearch, a division of Rabobank.Currently based in the US, Sam has been involved in agriculture throughout his life, having grown up in a large farming family in the UK with mixed crop, livestock, and broiler farms.He said what Irish farmers need to know now is that nitrogen, ammonia, and sulphur markets all rely heavily on Middle Eastern supply. Once those flows are disrupted, the effects ripple right through the fertiliser supply chain—from producers to distributors, and back to them is significant.Go beyond the headlines with our podcast series – AgriFocus – where we take a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers, rural communities and the agri-sector.

February 24, 202624 min

Weather, markets & margins - what should dairy farmers do next?

It is one of the busiest times of the year for dairy farmers with calving season in full flow.Days are long, the weather has been less than helpful and the sheer tiredness of it all can see some people slip into survival mode.Add to the mix a downward trending milk price and stubborn production costs and some dairy farmers may simply be too busy to think about what may lie ahead for the rest of 2026.In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Patrick Gowing Dairy Specialist at Teagasc who says it is vitally important for dairy farmers to consider where they might be by September.According to Gowing what they need to do now is understand their true cost structure and tighten budgets to maximise grass as their most valuable feed.He also shares practical, no-nonsense ways for dairy farmers to protect profit and build a more resilient business. Go beyond the headlines with our podcast series – AgriFocus – where we take a closer look at some of the key issues that directly impact on farmers, rural communities and the agri-sector.

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