Francess McDonnell

Sainsbury’s commits to £5bn investment in long-term farming agreements
Sainsbury’s commits to £5bn investment in long-term farming agreements

Supermarket goup Sainsbury’s today (Tuesday, March 31) announced that it plans to invest £5 billion into UK and Irish agriculture...

Why Dale Farm and Aurivo pulled the plug on merger talks
Why Dale Farm and Aurivo pulled the plug on merger talks

After months and months of discussions and many, many meetings north and south, the prospect of a fully blown merger...

Aurivo–Dale Farm: What a merger could mean for the dairy sector
Aurivo–Dale Farm: What a merger could mean for the dairy sector

With a combined total of more than 100 years in business and the fortunes of 2,260 dairy farmers at stake,...

Bluetongue: Devon calf born with no brain tissue
Bluetongue: Devon calf born with no brain tissue

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that the number of bluetongue cases in Great Britain...

Tariff-free US deal delivers win for NI beef exporter
Tariff-free US deal delivers win for NI beef exporter

Northern Ireland’s biggest red meat exporter today (Monday, March 2) lauded a US/UK tariff-free trade deal which has delivered a...

Lakeland Dairies holds January milk price but introduces ‘input support’
Lakeland Dairies holds January milk price but introduces ‘input support’

The Lakeland Dairies Board today (Thursday, February 12) confirmed it will hold the price for milk for January. The board...

UK court bans Swedish oat based company from using ‘milk’ in marketing
UK court bans Swedish oat based company from using ‘milk’ in marketing

The UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Swedish company, Oatly, cannot use the term “milk” when it is promoting...

Defra identifies 2 calves ‘with blindness’ among bluetongue cases
Defra identifies 2 calves ‘with blindness’ among bluetongue cases

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that the number of bluetongue cases in Great Britain...

NI farmers stage inheritance tax protest outside supermarket
NI farmers stage inheritance tax protest outside supermarket

Farmers in Northern Ireland have launched a fresh campaign against the UK’s new inheritance tax legislation which will become law...

‘I thought it was indigestion’ – NI farmer fed calves and cows during heart attack
‘I thought it was indigestion’ – NI farmer fed calves and cows during heart attack

A farmer in Northern Ireland who “took Gaviscon” and worked on feeding calves and cows during a heart attack has...

Climate report: Years from 2023 to 2025 ‘were exceptionally warm’
Climate report: Years from 2023 to 2025 ‘were exceptionally warm’

Last year was the “third hottest” year on record according to a new report released today (Wednesday, January 14) by...

US to welcome potential 13,000t of UK beef in 2026 under new quota
US to welcome potential 13,000t of UK beef in 2026 under new quota

A new country-specific, guaranteed quota of 13,000t earmarked for beef from the UK has officially come into force in the...

Rise in weight loss drugs could see UK consumers favour red meat/eggs in 2026 – AHDB
Rise in weight loss drugs could see UK consumers favour red meat/eggs in 2026 – AHDB

The popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is likely to see UK consumers seek “protein-packed” options in 2026, according to...

Farmers now have ‘firmer ground to build on and grow in 2026’ – NFU president
Farmers now have ‘firmer ground to build on and grow in 2026’ – NFU president

Farmers in the UK now have “firmer ground to build on and grow in 2026” according to the president of...

266 cases of bluetongue in GB in 2025 season – Defra
266 cases of bluetongue in GB in 2025 season – Defra

Latest government figures show there have been 266 cases of bluetongue in Great Britain in the 2025 bluetongue season. According...

DAERA: Changes to bluetongue movement restrictions in NI
DAERA: Changes to bluetongue movement restrictions in NI

There will be a further relaxation of animal movement restrictions for farms within the bluetongue virus (BTV) Temporary Control Zone...

France to begin vaccination against lumpy skin disease
France to begin vaccination against lumpy skin disease

The Ministry of Agriculture in France has confirmed that it will begin a “compulsory vaccination” of cattle in certain areas to...

RUAS: ‘No cattle classes” at 2025 Royal Ulster Winter Fair
RUAS: ‘No cattle classes” at 2025 Royal Ulster Winter Fair

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) today (Monday, December 8) confirmed that there will be no cattle classes at this...