Sheep Farming News

While bidding was described as not as competitive as recent sales the final sale of 2024 still recorded a 92% clearance with prices strengthening marginally by 0.5%.

Participants will be paid on their ACRES actions excluding the rare breeds payment for 2023, with this payment then included with the 2024 balancing payments in quarter two of 2025.

The payments include €123.7m paid to 28,294 tranche one participants and €26.5m paid to 6,379 tranche two participants.

The growth in farmers converting to organic farming continues while another area recording significant growth is the Sheep Ireland LambPlus programme which closes on 16 December.

The evening mart cattle and sheep sales have been cancelled due to storm Darragh, with the mart’s power, phone lines and internet connection still down.

Two dogs ran sheep off the side of a cliff in west Galway, with the farmer now left searching for the missing ewes injured or dead.

The country has already set a new record for sheepmeat exports with a month of 2024 left to go and looks almost certain to set a new record for beef meat exports.

The project will be done with the support of Sheep Ireland and has received funding from the Department of Agriculture under the Green ERAHUB funding programme.