Ireland’s largest farming event attracts hundreds of thousands of farmers and farming enthusiasts every year who make their pilgrimage for the three-day event.

The Irish Farmers Journal stand is located in its usual central position beside the headquarters of the National Ploughing Association at Stand 260, Row 14, Block 2.

The stand is always a hive of activity and 2024 will be no different.

Over 30 demonstrations and discussions on all aspects of Irish farming and rural life are planned for the three days, with demonstrations kicking off at 10.30am each day. Each day will commence with a live Farm Tech Talk livestock show featuring a selection of the Irish Farmers Journal livestock team.

Beef, dairy and fodder

On the beef side of the house, we’ll be talking about fodder budgeting and nutrition as we head into the winter months.

With some stability in the beef trade and a positive outlook for the autumn live trade, we’ll discuss what the rest of 2024 will hold for beef farmers and what will 2025 bring.

Dairy editor Aidan Brennan will be on hand to discuss everything from milk prices to co-op consolidation and what he saw on a recent trade mission to China.

The latest schemes

Sheep and schemes editor Darren Carty will be addressing issues in relation to the sheep industry and, with farm payments always in the spotlight, he’ll have the latest on schemes. The National Ploughing Championships week usually sees the first of the support payments landing in farmers’ bank accounts every year and Darren will take a look at how expected payment dates are shaping up for 2024.

Tillage

Tillage editor Siobhan Walsh will take a look back at harvest 2024, price movements and what changes are likely to take place in the tillage industry in 2025.

Buildings specialist Martin Merrick will discuss TAMS and how delays are impacting development on farms.

Meanwhile, our new pedigree specialists Nevan McKiernan and Rachel Gallagher will chat about all things pedigree and what’s happening in the pedigree cattle and sheep world for the rest of 2024.

The live Farm Tech Talk livestock shows will take place daily and there will be a chance to take part in the show each day and put your questions to the panel.

The Irish Farmers Journal agribusiness team of Lorcan Roche Kelly and Phelim O’Neill will take a look at the Irish agribusiness scene and what 2025 holds for the multibillion-euro industry. They will host a business-focused panel discussion with special guests at 12pm on Tuesday and 11.30am on Thursday.

Politics and farming

The National Ploughing Championships is always a popular place for politicians, and we’ll have many of them on the Irish Farmers Journal stand over the three days at ploughing.

Political correspondent Pat O’Toole and news editor Amy Forde will facilitate a debate on politics and changing farm policies each day on the Irish Farmers Journal stand. This could be your opportunity to put your questions to Government ministers and their representatives.

Machinery

Machinery is one of the biggest attractions at the National Ploughing Championships every year and while we don’t have a 400 horsepower tractor on our stand, we do have the Irish Farmers Journal livestock team of Peter Thomas Keaveney and Gary Abbot running demonstrations each day.

Renewable energy is a hot topic of conversation at the moment with a lot of questions being asked around what suits different farms. Renewables editor Stephen Robb will be hosting a renewables demonstration on Tuesday at 3pm.

All of the Irish Farmers Journal team look forward to seeing and talking to farmers and their families at this year’s event, so do drop in.

For regular updates on all the news and views from Ploughing 2024 see www.farmersjournal.ie