Another busy week in Irish farming. Bluetongue has crossed a grim milestone, the first October milk price is out, the beef trade has steadied for the Christmas run, and there’s a date for fertiliser aid. Here’s what you need to know, plus a word on the weekend weather.
Bluetongue passes 100 cases – Wexford still worst hit
Department of Agriculture figures updated on Tuesday show 101 bluetongue cases in Ireland across 17 counties – 94 in cattle and seven in sheep. Wexford is still top of the list with 35 cases (32 cattle, three sheep), followed by Waterford on 12 and Cork on 10. Sligo and Carlow recorded their first cases this week.
ICMSA’s livestock chair Michael O’Connell said only around half of the country’s mature breeding herds and flocks are vaccinated, and urged farmers to stay vigilant.
- Watch for crusty noses, drooling, mouth ulcers, runny eyes, lameness and crusty teats.
- Bluetongue is notifiable – contact your district veterinary office if you suspect it.
- Talk to your own vet about vaccination and timing for your herd or flock.
Milk: Lakeland holds for October
Lakeland Dairies was first out of the blocks for October milk, with the board agreeing on Tuesday to hold its base price at 39.7c/L (3.6% butterfat, 3.3% protein), including the 0.5c/L Sustainability Incentive Payment. Northern Ireland suppliers will get 31.9p/L. The co-op said dairy market returns had been relatively stable over the month.
Lakeland also announced a €20/t rebate on its retail dairy feed bought by milk suppliers in December, January and February, with terms and conditions applying. For context, Tirlán set a floor price of 40.08c/L (including VAT and its sustainability payment) back in September for September to December milk. Expect more co-ops to declare in the coming days.
Beef: price cuts stall as Christmas kills start
After a few weeks of pressure, factory quotes held steady at the start of this week. Agriland reported heifers on €6.60–€6.65/kg on the grid, with up to €6.70/kg in cases, and steers on €6.50–€6.55/kg, with up to €6.60/kg tabled.
Procurement staff say there are plenty of overage cattle about, but they’re keen on in-spec prime heifers and steers to fill Christmas orders. If you have cattle that fit the spec, it’s worth a few phone calls before booking in.
Schemes and payments
- Fertiliser Exceptional Aid Scheme: the Department has confirmed payments are expected to begin in December. Eligibility and amounts will be based on the National Fertiliser Database and BISS records. The deadline to correct purchase records was extended to 30 October, and the Department says numbers and payment rates won’t be known until its analysis is finished.
- ACRES: 2026 advances are due in the fourth quarter. For reference, last year’s advance started on 10 November 2025, so keep an eye on your account.
- BISS and CRISS: balancing payments are due from December, once checks on your application are complete.
For horse owners
The Department launched its new animal welfare strategy last week, and the Minister highlighted equine welfare and traceability as key parts of it. Horse Sport Ireland has welcomed the strategy. On the paperwork front, HSI’s latest figures show 5,951 passport applications received for 2026 foals and 4,133 completed – so if your foal’s passport isn’t sorted yet, now’s the time to chase it up.
Weather: frosty starts and a wetter turn
Today (Friday) has a cold, frosty start, then a mainly dry day with sunny spells. Rain spreads east to all areas on Saturday night, with a dull, damp start to Sunday before brighter, blustery showers and a fresh north-westerly wind. Sunday night turns cold, with lows of -1 to +4°C and widespread frost and icy patches – some showers may turn wintry in the north and north-west. Met Éireann says low pressure from the Atlantic will bring further rain next week.
Check water troughs and drinkers on frosty mornings, and take care on yards and roads with icy patches about.
From the yard
Part of the team is wrapping up the final day at EuroTier in Hannover today, and we’ll have a few stories to tell when they’re home. Back in Foulksmills, winter calves are arriving on plenty of dairy farms, and our FibreGold Calf Starter 19% is going out the gate to help get them off to a good start. As always, check calf health questions with your vet or Teagasc adviser.
Need feed, bedding or forage delivered? We deliver nationwide and across Europe, and we welcome distributor and bulk enquiries. WhatsApp us on 087 283 2443, email accounts@kehoefarming.com or get in touch here.
Sources: Agriland – bluetongue; Ocean FM; Agriland – Lakeland milk price; Agriland – Tirlán floor price; Agriland – factory quotes; Agriland – fertiliser scheme; gov.ie – ACRES; FarmAI – BISS; The Irish Field; Horse Sport Ireland; Ireland Live / Met Éireann; Agriland – weather.
