Hereford bulls met with a very weak trade at the final Irish Hereford Society bull sale of the season, which was held online in conjunction with GVM Marts at Kilmallock.
The recently released Irish Farms Accounts Co-operative (IFAC) report raises some serious questions about government policy, particularly the long-standing focus on 'output' as the dominant measure of progress.
'You're as lucky as a black cat," Tipperary beef farmer John Commins was told by his wife a few weeks ago when the country was basking in perfect barbeque weather as he prepared for the launch of his beef sausages in Aldi stores nationwide.
A November 2017-born Simmental heifer, due to calve in August, made the top price for in-calf entries at the Irish Simmental Society online commercial heifer sale at Roscommon Mart when she sold for €1,950.
The hard work of rearing spring-born calves is over - they are weaned off milk, eating lots of concentrate and are out on lush green pasture.
More than €480 million has been invested on Irish farms over the last five years in infrastructure and equipment which is partly funded under the Targeted Agricultural Measures Scheme (TAMS).
Proposals by Bord Bia to launch a grass-fed beef standard should be welcomed, but it seems the devil could be in the detail of any such scheme.
