Spreading

With the slurry spreading season just around the corner, Gary Abbott looks at what is involved when it comes to refurbishing a tired vacuum pump.

Many farmers with smaller tractors, heavier soils or hilly farms simply cannot operate a trailing shoe because of its weight and the ground conditions, ICSA president Seán McNamara has said.

AgriSpread recently gave us the opportunity to put its latest Pro+ 14000 rear discharge vertical beater dung spreader through its paces. Peter Thomas Keaveney reports.

Building 3,500-4,000 machines each year, Peter Thomas Keaveney travelled to Soumagne in Belgium to meet the Joskin family and visit some of the Joskin factories.

Dermot Forristal of Teagasc looks at how to achieve optimum results when spreading protected urea.

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors (FCI) National Agricultural Contractor Conference will take place at the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, on Wednesday 4 December at 11am.

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has criticised the regulation that will mean that, from 1 January 2025, 41,000 farmers will be required to use new, more environmentally friendly equipment to spread slurry.

They said the minimum viable landholding that would allow them to build a slurry tank is around 500ac, and the farmer must use the digestate for 10 years or more.