Suckler farming

Adam Woods visits Davy Boles who farms a suckler herd just outside Lisbellaw in Co Fermanagh.

An upcoming TB test could see grazing for some stock come to a wind down earlier than expected, after a difficult grass-growing year on Tommy Moyles' farm at Ardfield, Clonakilty, Co Cork.

Successful young farmers under the initiative will be able to avail of support of up to €400 to put towards the cost of a maiden heifer.

The closing date for the scheme which offers payment of €35 for meal feeding and €15 for vaccinating calves up to a maximum of 40 head is 11.59pm on 24 September 2024.

Teagasc beef specialist Aidan Murray told farmers that feeding meal to weanlings will generate twice the return on investment.

There’s an enormous amount of resilience in suckler farmers (this could also be termed stubbornness) and year after year we do what we can with what we’ve got.

Adam Woods report from Gortatlea Mart in Co Kerry, where its annual weanling show and sale took place last week.

A suckler farm representing the nature-rich farms of the west of Ireland should be a priority, says Ray Ó Foghlú.