AgriFocus

Hosted by Agriland

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Jun 2026

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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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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.

February 10, 202620 min

European Parliament in Brussels

In this week's episode of AgriFocus, Agriland editor Stella Meehan speaks to some Irish MEPs during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.Firstly she speaks to Fine Gael Ireland South MEP, Sean Kelly who is a member of the EPP political grouping in the EU. He discusses the importance of resourcing farmers sufficiently in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to ensure they can maintain and develop further environmental measures.AgriFocus also speaks to Fianna Fáil, Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher, who is a member of the Renew political grouping in the EU about the EU-Mercosur trade deal, CAP funding and the impact of bluetongue virus on live exports.

January 27, 202619 min

DAFM vet outlines impact of Bluetongue on Ireland

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is continuing to carry out epidemiological investigations and surveillance following confirmation of an outbreak of bluetongue in Co. Wexford.According to DAFM the case was detected in a cow which had no clinical symptoms.But what what might confirmation of the first case mean for Ireland?In this episode of AgriFocus Stella Meehan is joined by the deputy chief veterinary officer at DAFM, Dr. Eoin Ryan to explain why bluetongue is in Ireland and how it spreads.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.

January 13, 202621 min

What might Mercosur mean when it comes to quotas and trade for Ireland?

Tens of thousands of Irish farmers showed their strong opposition to the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement at a major protest in Athlone, Co. Westmeath but the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, is still preparing to travel to South America on Saturday (January 17) to sign the trade deal.But once the deal is officially signed what will this really mean for Ireland?In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Thijs Geijer, a senior sector economist at the Dutch banking group ING who specialises in the food and agriculture sector. 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.