Blog

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Trade deals don’t usually get much attention at farm level. Most of the time, they sit in the background, something happening in Brussels or further afield, with no obvious impact day to day.</p><p>But every so often, one comes along that feels different. And this proposed EU–Australia agreement is starting to look like one of those.</p><p>Talks between the EU and Australia have been dragging on since June 2018, and most people had half-written them off after things fell apart in 2023, largely over agriculture. Now they’re back on the table again, and there’s a sense this time that both sides want to get something done.</p><p>At the centre of it all, as usual, is farming.</p><figure id="figure-d7c3ky0i2pmn26tw5g" class=""><img id="d7c3ky0i2pmn26tw5g" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1628057414816-f616f5a65a29?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxBdXN0cmFsaWFuJTIwZmFybXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzQyMTAwMjF8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="black and white cow on green grass field near lake during daytime" title="black and white cow on green grass field near lake during daytime" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1628057414816-f616f5a65a29?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxBdXN0cmFsaWFuJTIwZmFybXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzQyMTAwMjF8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>It comes down to beef and sheepmeat<br></h3><p>Strip everything else away, and the real sticking point is simple enough: how much product Australia will be allowed to send into the EU.</p><p>The figures being talked about at the moment are in the region of:</p><ul><li>30,000 tonnes of beef.</li><li>20,000 tonnes of sheepmeat.</li></ul><p>They’re not agreed yet, and they may shift, but they give a fair idea of the direction things are heading.</p><p>And that’s where the concern starts.</p><figure id="figure-q5249g9ry5mn26vmbx" class=""><img id="q5249g9ry5mn26vmbx" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1693618052382-41fb0a9f098e?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzfHxzaGVlcCUyMGluJTIwYXVzdHJhbGlhfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDA5Nnww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="a herd of sheep standing on top of a dirt field" title="a herd of sheep standing on top of a dirt field" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1693618052382-41fb0a9f098e?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzfHxzaGVlcCUyMGluJTIwYXVzdHJhbGlhfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDA5Nnww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>It’s not just about how much — it’s where it lands</h3><p>On paper, those volumes might not look huge across the entire EU market. But markets don’t work like that in practice.</p><p>What really matters is where that product ends up.</p><p>If it’s competing in the same space as Irish beef and lamb, retail shelves, foodservice, key export markets, then even relatively modest volumes can have an impact. Not necessarily overnight, but gradually.</p><p>There’s also the knock-on effect. The minute buyers know more supply could be coming, it changes how they think. Processors get more cautious. Retailers have more options. Prices don’t need to collapse, they just soften.</p><p>That’s usually how these things show up.</p><figure id="figure-s9qdi2fjf9mn26wo87" class=""><img id="s9qdi2fjf9mn26wo87" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1758236503889-42d4e57d4f1a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxpcmlzaCUyMGNhdHRsZSUyMGZhcm18ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc0MjEwMTYwfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="Cows resting in a green pasture with stone walls." title="Cows resting in a green pasture with stone walls." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1758236503889-42d4e57d4f1a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxpcmlzaCUyMGNhdHRsZSUyMGZhcm18ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc0MjEwMTYwfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why Ireland is paying attention</h3><p>Ireland is particularly exposed here, simply because of how much we rely on export markets, especially within the EU and UK.</p><p>Australia, on the other hand, is one of the big global players. It’s used to operating at scale and supplying large, competitive markets across the world.</p><p>At the moment, its access to Europe is limited. If that changes, even slightly, it becomes a more regular presence in a market where Irish farmers are already working on tight margins.</p><p>And once that door opens, it rarely closes again.</p><figure id="figure-l3ioojococmn26y3oj" class=""><img id="l3ioojococmn26y3oj" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1625492132356-9a1a05950bd0?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxhdXN0cmFsaWElMjBmbGFnfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDIwOXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="red white and blue flag" title="red white and blue flag" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1625492132356-9a1a05950bd0?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxhdXN0cmFsaWElMjBmbGFnfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDIwOXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>It’s not just Australia — it’s everything together<br></h3><p>What’s really driving concern isn’t just this deal on its own. It’s what it sits alongside.</p><p>The EU–Mercosur agreement, involving countries like Brazil and Argentina, is a good example. Under that deal, the EU agreed to allow 99,000 tonnes of beef imports annually, with a reduced tariff.</p><p>Again, taken in isolation, that might seem manageable. But when you start adding it to what’s being discussed with Australia, and then factor in other trade agreements, it becomes something else entirely.</p><p>It’s the cumulative effect that matters. A bit more beef here, a bit more lamb there. None of it overwhelming on its own. But over time, it builds into a more competitive market.</p><p>And even if every tonne isn’t fully used, the option is there, and that alone changes behaviour in the trade.</p><figure id="figure-px8xcz0i7pmn2736xb" class=""><img id="px8xcz0i7pmn2736xb" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1568560648804-e2fd166364c0?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxM3x8aXJpc2glMjBmYXJtJTIwfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDQ0Nnww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="two black and white cattle in green fern plants" title="two black and white cattle in green fern plants" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1568560648804-e2fd166364c0?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxM3x8aXJpc2glMjBmYXJtJTIwfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDQ0Nnww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What that actually looks like on farms<br></h3><p>This isn’t the kind of thing that shows up suddenly in a cheque or a price drop you can point to.</p><p>It’s slower than that.</p><p>It might mean:</p><ul><li>Prices not quite pushing on when you’d expect them to.</li><li>Margins tightening a bit further.</li><li>More ups and downs in the market.</li><li>Processors having more leverage when negotiatinG.</li><li>Individually, none of those changes look dramatic. But together, they can shift the feel of a system over time.</li></ul><p>And that’s usually when farmers start to notice.</p><figure id="figure-c2317u92t8mn274l8f" class=""><img id="c2317u92t8mn274l8f" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1742828830966-5c64a4d480ae?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyOXx8SVJJU0glMjBGQVJNJTIwfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDUxMXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="Sheep graze peacefully in a green pasture." title="Sheep graze peacefully in a green pasture." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1742828830966-5c64a4d480ae?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyOXx8SVJJU0glMjBGQVJNJTIwfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NDIxMDUxMXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The bigger picture — and the real question<br></h3><p>At some level, this is about more than Australia or Mercosur or any one deal.</p><p>It’s about the direction things are moving in. European agriculture is gradually becoming more exposed to global competition. That’s not new, but it’s becoming more noticeable.</p><p>For Irish farming, the question is how to operate in that environment. There are still clear strengths, grass-based production, traceability, reputation in key markets. Those things matter, and they’ll continue to matter.</p><p>But they have to do more of the heavy lifting as competition increases.</p><figure id="figure-ky17d2oykmmn275osk" class=""><img id="ky17d2oykmmn275osk" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1594810205183-18a8b0ce6c13?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxldXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzQyMTA1Njh8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="blue and white flags on pole" title="blue and white flags on pole" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1594810205183-18a8b0ce6c13?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxldXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzQyMTA1Njh8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>There’s no deal signed yet, and nothing is guaranteed. Agriculture has a habit of being the last piece agreed, or the piece that stops agreements altogether.</p><p>But the direction of travel is fairly clear. Markets are opening, slowly but steadily. And with that comes more competition, more pressure, and more uncertainty around where prices will settle.</p><p>None of this changes farming overnight. It never does. But over time, these kinds of decisions shape the ground that farms operate on.</p><p>And that’s why this one is being watched a bit more closely than most.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

EU-Australia Trade Deal: Key Concerns for Farmers

<h3>Introduction&nbsp;</h3><p>At first glance, conflict in the Middle East can feel far removed from everyday life on an Irish farm. But when tensions rise in one of the world’s most important energy regions, the effects can travel quickly, often showing up first in the price of fuel.</p><p>The recent escalation involving Iran has already caused movement in global oil markets. According to reporting from RTÉ, the wholesale price of oil rose from $72 per barrel to above $91 within a week of the conflict beginning. At the start of the year, oil had been trading at just over $60 per barrel, and it was around $70 last month before tensions escalated. Currently, projections estimate it could reach $150-200.</p><p>Those shifts might seem like numbers on a trading screen, but they tend to reach farm businesses much faster than people realise.</p><figure id="figure-g24etu22ymmmir54a" class=""><img id="g24etu22ymmmir54a" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/bBVCLNXvWgaVkQk4ssE2XnDIV3wm6qURAtQZrjn6JrRkbOmd5KCrU2R8jx6Ol7IL.jpeg" alt="Ireland on world map with flag" title="Ireland on world map with flag" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/bBVCLNXvWgaVkQk4ssE2XnDIV3wm6qURAtQZrjn6JrRkbOmd5KCrU2R8jx6Ol7IL.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Fuel prices are already moving<br></h3><p>One of the clearest signs of the impact has been at the pump.</p><p>RTÉ reports that the average price of diesel in Ireland last month was €1.72 per litre, while petrol averaged €1.73 per litre. Since the conflict began, some filling stations have been charging around €1.90 per litre for diesel and €1.80 for petrol.</p><p>For farmers, diesel isn’t just another cost, it’s what powers much of the daily work on the farm. From tractors and loaders to generators and transport vehicles, diesel is the fuel that keeps machinery running.</p><p>And the impact goes beyond the farmyard. The same fuel powers the trucks that move milk to processing plants, transport cattle to factories and deliver food to supermarkets. When diesel prices rise, the cost of moving food from farms to shops rises as well.</p><figure id="figure-7mphqw4z4mmmixro4"><img id="7mphqw4z4mmmixro4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2d6Y7XNPX2gShedJlADaiJ6T8CZSXCaOOS4Dkdb5MUYx85LzVNaTRSnolMZ5mYaT.jpeg" alt="Crude oil prices go up. Crude oil barrels on a white background with world map. Strait of Hormuz blockade. Iran war with Israel and US. Tanker and other ships navigation and security problem" title="Crude oil prices go up. Crude oil barrels on a white background with world map. Strait of Hormuz blockade. Iran war with Israel and US. Tanker and other ships navigation and security problem" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2d6Y7XNPX2gShedJlADaiJ6T8CZSXCaOOS4Dkdb5MUYx85LzVNaTRSnolMZ5mYaT.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why oil markets react so quickly</h3><p>The reason this particular conflict has shaken energy markets lies in geography.</p><p>Iran sits beside the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important shipping routes in the global energy system. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that about 20 million barrels of oil pass through the strait each day, which is equivalent to around 20% of global petroleum consumption.</p><p>Even the possibility that shipping through this route could be disrupted is enough to send markets higher. Insurance costs for tankers rise, traders factor in supply risks and prices respond quickly.</p><p>Because oil is traded globally, those movements are felt far beyond the Middle East.</p><figure id="figure-fmxc9boxatmmmivu4h" class=""><img id="fmxc9boxatmmmivu4h" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21mJYIzMToqE4blQiObAaVGS7WG5xko6OdACNoHoWXjHgjRZqZsm9RmZrKbyvdjw.jpeg" alt="senior man preparing to fill up the LPG tanks in his motor home" title="senior man preparing to fill up the LPG tanks in his motor home" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21mJYIzMToqE4blQiObAaVGS7WG5xko6OdACNoHoWXjHgjRZqZsm9RmZrKbyvdjw.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Ireland’s exposure to global energy markets<br></h3><p>Ireland is particularly sensitive to these kinds of shocks because it relies heavily on imported energy.</p><p>According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Ireland imported 79.7% of its energy needs in 2024, including all of its oil supplies.</p><p>That means the price paid for diesel and petrol in Ireland is largely determined by global markets. When international oil prices rise, Irish fuel prices usually follow.</p><p>For farming, that link is especially important. Agriculture relies on fuel not only for machinery but for the entire supply chain that connects farms to processors and retailers.</p><figure id="figure-brphfcebqfmmmizn7n" class=""><img id="brphfcebqfmmmizn7n" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/31OKooWdFAHMS26NevqUhNmkVe5VoPAqj3hDzck39kTxInx66BSLgNkFy2s3C8Cn.png" alt="World Map with Ireland Flag Overlay" title="World Map with Ireland Flag Overlay" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/31OKooWdFAHMS26NevqUhNmkVe5VoPAqj3hDzck39kTxInx66BSLgNkFy2s3C8Cn.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Fertiliser and energy markets are closely linked<br></h3><p>Oil prices are only one part of the story, energy markets also play a major role in fertiliser production.</p><p>Nitrogen fertilisers are produced using ammonia, and natural gas is a key input in that process. The European Commission estimates that natural gas can account for roughly 70% to 85% of the cost of producing ammonia.</p><p>When energy prices rise, fertiliser production becomes more expensive. In some cases, factories may even reduce output if gas prices make production uneconomic.</p><p>For Irish farmers, fertiliser prices have been a major concern over recent years, so any further pressure on energy markets is being watched closely.</p><figure id="figure-trcfzgbidimmmj5g8b" class=""><img id="trcfzgbidimmmj5g8b" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24b93KlZ9zJ2gVIMmdC40e53caxXsSgyJlwf9xPjP81nzvHM0GmCgYYNQN7C5YYB.jpeg" alt="Oil Barrels Textured With Iranian Flag On White Background" title="Oil Barrels Textured With Iranian Flag On White Background" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24b93KlZ9zJ2gVIMmdC40e53caxXsSgyJlwf9xPjP81nzvHM0GmCgYYNQN7C5YYB.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What the fertiliser market looks like right now<br></h3><p>There is some reassurance in the short term. The Irish Farmers’ Association says there are sufficient fertiliser stocks already in merchants’ yards to cover first applications to grassland, tillage crops, grazing and first-cut silage.</p><p>Importantly, those supplies were purchased before the current conflict and recent energy price increases.</p><p>Current market prices reported by the IFA include:</p><ul><li>€395–€415 per tonne for CAN.</li><li>€405–€425 per tonne for CAN with sulphur.</li><li>€550–€580 per tonne for protected urea.</li><li>Compound fertilisers are also trading within established ranges, meaning the first round of applications this spring should not be immediately affected by the geopolitical situation.</li></ul><figure id="figure-xa49qqlfcommmj6wmg" class=""><img id="xa49qqlfcommmj6wmg" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/5N8lj9t0DUVA4BBsZu59sVbCEjqYXZjTuvTqesGBKHY3ePeKsQ6aLYYkinqKjGJ3.jpeg" alt="Rise in gasoline prices concept with double exposure of digital screen with financial chart graphs and oil pumps on a field." title="Rise in gasoline prices concept with double exposure of digital screen with financial chart graphs and oil pumps on a field." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/5N8lj9t0DUVA4BBsZu59sVbCEjqYXZjTuvTqesGBKHY3ePeKsQ6aLYYkinqKjGJ3.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why farmers are watching the situation closely<br></h3><p>For now, much depends on how events develop in the coming weeks and months.</p><p>If oil supplies continue to move freely through key shipping routes, markets may settle again. But if the conflict begins to affect production or shipping in the region, energy prices could remain volatile.</p><p>Farmers will be watching several indicators closely:</p><ul><li>Diesel price movements.</li><li>Fertiliser market trends.</li><li>Transport costs across the food supply chain.</li><li>Broader inflation in farm inputs</li></ul><p><br>Because when fuel prices rise, the impact rarely stops at the fuel tank.</p><figure id="figure-8gzeai1y7rmmmj8swt" class=""><img id="8gzeai1y7rmmmj8swt" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/eh5oMjaFkq18CxTKcMzDRNwLYQMprJhC5jLSWG7tSsrTnc3UFEHODVrQKmGdFknU.png" alt="Oil Prices Moving Down Concept with US Dollar Stack Barrels and a Red Arrow" title="Oil Prices Moving Down Concept with US Dollar Stack Barrels and a Red Arrow" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/eh5oMjaFkq18CxTKcMzDRNwLYQMprJhC5jLSWG7tSsrTnc3UFEHODVrQKmGdFknU.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Conclusion<br></h3><p>Irish farming has always been influenced by factors well beyond the farm gate, from weather patterns to international markets.</p><p>Events in the Middle East may seem distant, but energy markets connect those events directly to everyday life on farms across Ireland. When oil prices move from $72 to above $91 per barrel within a week, the effects can ripple quickly through fuel prices, transport costs and fertiliser markets.</p><p>And because Ireland imports 79.7% of its energy, those global movements are felt particularly strongly here.</p><p>For farmers, the coming months will reveal whether this latest energy shock is a short-term spike, or another reminder of how closely agriculture is tied to global events.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Impact of Iran Conflict and Oil Prices on Irish Agriculture

A flooded agricultural field due to heavy rainfall

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>Anyone farming in Ireland this winter will already know the story. The fields have been slow to dry, machinery access has been limited in places, and every dry day has felt like an opportunity not to be wasted. While that’s nothing new for Irish agriculture, the past few months have been another reminder of just how closely farm decisions follow the weather.</p><p>Recent figures from Met Éireann put some numbers on what many farmers have already experienced. Ireland recorded a national mean temperature of 6.58°C between December and February, making it a relatively mild winter overall. At the same time, frequent rainfall and unsettled weather patterns have left many soils saturated across the country.</p><p>For farmers preparing for the spring season, the challenge now isn’t just temperature, it’s ground conditions.</p><figure id="figure-38d2em6rammmchlw7i" class=""><img id="38d2em6rammmchlw7i" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eQpdwg94zvUeHwnasyUuUZUsAkldmz7fjgAnWEifkRMek2d4VVU3n0dtiTxhOwG.jpeg" alt="Water logged field on a farm" title="Water logged field on a farm" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eQpdwg94zvUeHwnasyUuUZUsAkldmz7fjgAnWEifkRMek2d4VVU3n0dtiTxhOwG.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Saturated soils and slow progress in the fields</h3><p>According to Met Éireann’s latest farming commentary, many soils across the country are currently saturated, with poorly drained soils waterlogged. That kind of situation is fairly typical towards the end of winter, but when it lingers it can delay early spring activity.</p><p>When soils are holding that much moisture, everyday farm jobs become harder to manage. Machinery access becomes restricted, livestock turnout has to be carefully considered, and the risk of damaging soil structure increases if fields are used too early.</p><p>Even when a few dry days appear, improvement can be slow. On heavier soils in particular, it can take time for land to recover enough to safely carry machinery or grazing animals again.</p><figure id="figure-mpyo2vxm9mmchn73x" class=""><img id="mpyo2vxm9mmchn73x" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2cBT6VD1iuIpviMWMnZACWyZkuWu7w9OEcoFscq1moPCtApl5a2vFiWDyeKl9w8g.jpeg" alt="Lambs Feeding" title="Lambs Feeding" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2cBT6VD1iuIpviMWMnZACWyZkuWu7w9OEcoFscq1moPCtApl5a2vFiWDyeKl9w8g.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Rainfall has varied widely across the country<br></h3><p>One of the things that often surprises people outside farming is how different conditions can be from one part of the country to another.</p><p>Over the past week, rainfall totals ranged from 53% of the weekly average in parts of the north to as much as 166% of average in some southern and south-eastern areas. That kind of variation means that while some farms may begin to see conditions improve, others may still be dealing with saturated ground.</p><p>Temperatures during the same period have remained relatively mild. Mean air temperatures ranged from 6.7°C to 8.7°C, which is 0.6°C to 1.9°C above the long-term average for this time of year.</p><p>Mild weather might normally be welcome at this stage of the season, but without enough dry weather to balance it out, ground conditions remain the main limiting factor.&nbsp;</p><figure id="figure-05y61qtrksmmchodd7" class=""><img id="05y61qtrksmmchodd7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27Z6CTyZ9IARPCpGpmvv6lmiDf6n9UOXU9n48eqOedZ9UOOO9OaksLv55iLYIqqg.jpeg" alt="Wild grasses along the coast" title="Wild grasses along the coast" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27Z6CTyZ9IARPCpGpmvv6lmiDf6n9UOXU9n48eqOedZ9UOOO9OaksLv55iLYIqqg.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Warmer soils could support early grass growth</h3><p>One positive sign for the season ahead is soil temperature. Measurements across the country show mean soil temperatures between 7.5°C and 9.2°C, which is 2.1°C to 4.2°C above the seasonal average.</p><p>For grass-based systems like those used across much of Ireland, soil temperature plays a major role in early grass growth. Once soil temperatures rise above around 6°C, grass can begin to grow again after winter dormancy.</p><p>In theory, that means conditions are favourable for early grass production. In practice, however, saturated soils may prevent livestock from accessing fields until ground conditions improve.</p><figure id="figure-x4ceuxrcvqmmcht05u" class=""><img id="x4ceuxrcvqmmcht05u" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cMLmJDTHvU22v5l52CkKG2GN8ToHJWxpMQOb2u9m744qsky2RPVCU3TbNQrNq6ln.jpeg" alt="soil surface with a focus line for product presentation" title="soil surface with a focus line for product presentation" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cMLmJDTHvU22v5l52CkKG2GN8ToHJWxpMQOb2u9m744qsky2RPVCU3TbNQrNq6ln.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Waiting for the dry windows<br></h3><p>Anyone who farms in Ireland knows that the weather rarely settles into a long dry spell at this time of year. Instead, it tends to arrive in short windows between Atlantic weather systems.</p><p>Met Éireann’s outlook suggests that drying conditions are expected to remain generally poor in the short term, although there may be some improvement later in the week if rainfall eases for a period.</p><p>Those brief dry spells often become the most important days of the season. They provide the opportunity to move livestock, apply slurry or fertiliser, and begin the gradual shift from winter housing back to grass.</p><p>Timing those decisions carefully can make a big difference to how well fields recover after a wet winter.</p><figure id="figure-jl3bctiijmmchtriz" class=""><img id="jl3bctiijmmchtriz" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" alt="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" title="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The balance farmers face each spring<br></h3><p>The coming weeks are always a balancing act on Irish farms. Temperatures may suggest that grass is ready to grow, but ground conditions often decide when activity can actually begin.</p><p>Where soils remain wet, turnout may need to be limited to the driest paddocks first. Machinery work may also have to wait until fields can carry equipment without risking compaction.</p><p>These decisions are part of the rhythm of farming in Ireland. Every year brings its own variation of the same challenge: working with the weather rather than against it.</p><figure id="figure-t799f9757mmchuzf3" class=""><img id="t799f9757mmchuzf3" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aScgLoVzSGHymdgW8zeWEP2WKvTsaiZhqji9H9O21AfFXFDkLOBi0YVOIhpTjOZ.jpeg" alt="Lush green forest and fields on the hills and valley of Glenariff Forest Park" title="Lush green forest and fields on the hills and valley of Glenariff Forest Park" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aScgLoVzSGHymdgW8zeWEP2WKvTsaiZhqji9H9O21AfFXFDkLOBi0YVOIhpTjOZ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In many ways, this winter simply reinforces what farmers already understand. Irish agriculture operates in a climate where conditions can shift quickly, and where rainfall often dictates the pace of work.</p><p>A mild winter, like the one recorded this year with a national mean temperature of 6.58°C, may help encourage early growth. But when that warmth comes alongside persistent rain, the benefits can take longer to show on the ground.</p><p>For now, many farmers will simply be watching the forecast and waiting for those few dry days that make all the difference because in Irish farming, the weather rarely waits, and neither can the work that depends on it.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

A Wet Winter in Ireland: What It Means for Farming as Spring Approaches

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>For a long time, the European beef debate revolved around markets: where the product was going, who we were competing with, and what trade deals might open or close doors.</p><p>What’s happening now is more fundamental. The issue is no longer whether there are customers, it’s whether there are enough cattle.</p><p>The most recent trade figures make that very clear. EU beef exports for the first ten months of 2025 fell by almost 16%, dropping from 992,000 tonnes in 2024 to just over 704,000 tonnes in the same period last year. At the same time, imports moved sharply the other way, rising by 18.3%.</p><p>That’s not a blip. It’s a supply signal.</p><figure id="figure-bq5zagauwsmm7v13np" class=""><img id="bq5zagauwsmm7v13np" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2a3b3uB0A8CPH5JNDo9ixlAQrJFLAh5s5bL9nyLoeSeYIsteOylgmhJs6u1WmJgx.jpeg" alt="Herd Of Cattle On Pasture In Ireland" title="Herd Of Cattle On Pasture In Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2a3b3uB0A8CPH5JNDo9ixlAQrJFLAh5s5bL9nyLoeSeYIsteOylgmhJs6u1WmJgx.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The reality behind the factory gate</h3><p>Anyone watching throughput over the past year will already have felt it. The trade data simply confirms what has been obvious on the ground.</p><p>Across the EU, beef production for the first eight months of 2025 dropped by 169,000 tonnes, as cattle slaughter fell by 5%, the equivalent of 804,000 fewer animals coming through the system.</p><p>Ireland is very much part of that story. The national kill in 2025 was down by 213,057 head. In production terms, output for the same period measured at EU level fell by around 6%, or close to 20,000 tonnes.</p><p>That tightening supply is the reason demand for finished stock has stayed so strong and why prices have gone where they have. In October 2025, the EU bullock price hit €7.39/kg, up 43.6% in a year.</p><p>At farm level that has been welcome. At trade level it changes how competitive Europe is.</p><figure id="figure-pmnmus2llbmm7v2e7o" class=""><img id="pmnmus2llbmm7v2e7o" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1x9MkKbaDSMcTEG9aVxOymPYEPImbWxuTSRgzem25qSAjgg0wo5pgtZI9bDAUGpQ.jpeg" alt="Meat counter. Butcher shop fridge counter with assortment of raw meat.. Glass display case in butcher shop filled with fresh meat products. Various cuts of beef, pork, sausages are arranged for buyers" title="Meat counter. Butcher shop fridge counter with assortment of raw meat.. Glass display case in butcher shop filled with fresh meat products. Various cuts of beef, pork, sausages are arranged for buyers" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1x9MkKbaDSMcTEG9aVxOymPYEPImbWxuTSRgzem25qSAjgg0wo5pgtZI9bDAUGpQ.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The UK still sets the tone<br></h3><p>For all the talk about diversification, the structure of the export market hasn’t shifted nearly as much as people sometimes assume.</p><p>The UK still takes almost 38% of all EU beef exports. And in a year when overall export volumes fell sharply, shipments to the UK dropped by only about 7%.</p><p>That tells its own story, the UK remains structurally short of beef, and geography still matters.</p><p>For Ireland, that’s central to everything. Our system is built around supplying that market efficiently and consistently. In a Europe where product is becoming scarcer, that proximity is not just an advantage, it’s a strategic asset.</p><figure id="figure-7b9lqm9cismm7v41sj" class=""><img id="7b9lqm9cismm7v41sj" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/35Khi9FtCklyPj06ehidzIQKqK7txd7JgM5NJOMksS4n9vUZbGukbKW8JWINZwRB.jpeg" alt="Man shopping for beef steak in supermarket aisle" title="Man shopping for beef steak in supermarket aisle" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/35Khi9FtCklyPj06ehidzIQKqK7txd7JgM5NJOMksS4n9vUZbGukbKW8JWINZwRB.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Imports are filling the space<br></h3><p>The other side of the equation is just as important.</p><p>With less beef being produced inside the EU, more is coming in from outside. Import volumes for the first ten months of 2025 were up by 18.3%, with Brazil and the UK the largest suppliers, followed by Argentina and Uruguay.</p><p>That’s the market adjusting in real time, when internal supply tightens and prices rise, imported product becomes more competitive.</p><p>It also means that the conversation about standards, traceability and production systems is no longer theoretical. Those differences are now sitting side by side on the same market.</p><figure id="figure-poo30gwksmmm7v53t3" class=""><img id="poo30gwksmmm7v53t3" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2dTrNc2uoGG2WI02g4QGe1oPDjJ2c2WrWZZobNUN9PrhK2F8uec71yJI3HNLoZZU.jpeg" alt="A group of worker in meat factory, chopped a fresh beef meat in pieces on metal work table, industry of processing food." title="A group of worker in meat factory, chopped a fresh beef meat in pieces on metal work table, industry of processing food." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2dTrNc2uoGG2WI02g4QGe1oPDjJ2c2WrWZZobNUN9PrhK2F8uec71yJI3HNLoZZU.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Less volume — more value<br></h3><p>One of the more telling developments from an Irish perspective is what has happened to export value.</p><p>Even with volumes down by about 5% to roughly 474,000 tonnes, the value of primary beef exports increased by 24% to €3.4 billion.</p><p>In other words, fewer cattle, but each one worth more.</p><p>That’s a very different model from the one the sector operated under for decades. And it puts much more focus on consistency, specification and market alignment than on raw output.</p><figure id="figure-3hlxhgb10qmm7v68f2" class=""><img id="3hlxhgb10qmm7v68f2" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2fgy381wTLOW950TomNUCnv201gsyhIbOs0XC7WKZRaWjThOCEAjCk7E0DDkPbwY.jpeg" alt="Butchers processing hanging beef carcasses in meat processing plant" title="Butchers processing hanging beef carcasses in meat processing plant" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2fgy381wTLOW950TomNUCnv201gsyhIbOs0XC7WKZRaWjThOCEAjCk7E0DDkPbwY.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>A different kind of competition<br></h3><p>While Europe is working through a contraction in supply, other exporting countries are expanding. That contrast matters.</p><p>This is not a situation where global demand has weakened, it hasn’t. It’s a situation where Europe has less product to sell and is, in some cases, pricing itself out of certain markets.</p><p>So the challenge is no longer about finding customers. It’s about deciding where our product fits best and making sure it matches those markets.</p><figure id="figure-0gkk6d732mm7v7h3v" class=""><img id="0gkk6d732mm7v7h3v" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/29vnd6SYUMQIoDdjlPMzDFaHVSD8RIVBx42bJUZeIrgfftu3lQhSxID6BBPJQFN2.jpeg" alt="Irish Cows and a Calf" title="Irish Cows and a Calf" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/29vnd6SYUMQIoDdjlPMzDFaHVSD8RIVBx42bJUZeIrgfftu3lQhSxID6BBPJQFN2.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>What this means when you step back from the numbers<br></h3><p>Taken together, the figures point to a structural shift rather than a difficult year.</p><p>We are moving away from a system that was built on volume and into one where supply is tighter and value matters more. For Ireland, that brings both opportunity and pressure.</p><p>We are still one of the most consistent exporters in Europe. We have a production system that suits retail and foodservice requirements. We have full traceability and a quality assurance structure that is recognised in the market. Those things carry more weight when there is less beef available.</p><p>But the flip side is the question of critical mass. Throughput is falling. The pipeline of cattle is smaller. Generational change, environmental policy and land use are all influencing the size of the national herd.</p><p>So the real strategic question is not about chasing higher output, it’s about protecting the production base we still have and getting the maximum possible value from it.</p><figure id="figure-kny5l1vpzxmm7v8z6m" class=""><img id="kny5l1vpzxmm7v8z6m" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eujnkFKyDaf5hU0KFRa0QtABcRDQPmBCOMGsbci0GBAsnN83gX8PisNnP4AggT6.jpeg" alt="head of an Irish cow" title="head of an Irish cow" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eujnkFKyDaf5hU0KFRa0QtABcRDQPmBCOMGsbci0GBAsnN83gX8PisNnP4AggT6.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>For a long time the sector worried about oversupply. That is no longer the issue.</p><p>Demand is steady, prices are strong, export value is rising even as volumes fall. The balance in the supply chain has shifted.</p><p>The countries that can supply beef consistently, to the right specification and with the right credentials, will shape the European market over the next decade. Ireland is one of those countries but only if the link between production, policy and market strategy holds. Because in a Europe with fewer cattle, being able to supply the market at all becomes the biggest competitive advantage of all.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Europe Has Less Beef to Sell — and That Changes the Conversation for Ireland

<h3>Introduction</h3><p>When the Government launched its new Circular Economy Strategy for 2026–2028, one figure quietly did most of the talking.</p><p>Ireland’s Circularity Metric currently stands at 2.7%. That means more than 97% of the materials moving through our economy are still coming from virgin sources. Extract, use, discard, repeat.</p><p>For a country that talks regularly about sustainability and resilience, that’s a sobering starting point.</p><figure id="figure-o6f85yelhmm2jzja7" class=""><img id="o6f85yelhmm2jzja7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aee7pLehuf2sbt6SVlGo7Bim9RI9W0VnJlYqp5JhTa6JiMnBe8YcPfW5zC5fadU.jpeg" alt="recycling litter bin" title="recycling litter bin" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1aee7pLehuf2sbt6SVlGo7Bim9RI9W0VnJlYqp5JhTa6JiMnBe8YcPfW5zC5fadU.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>A Target That Sounds Small — But Isn’t</h3><p>The strategy sets out a clear ambition: increase circularity by two percentage points per year, reaching 12% by 2030.</p><p>At first glance, moving from 2.7% to 12% might not seem dramatic. But in material terms, that shift would represent a significant structural change in how products are designed, how waste is treated, and how businesses operate.</p><p>It isn’t about recycling more bottles. It’s about redesigning the system so materials stay useful for longer.</p><figure id="figure-qu98etwvj8mm2k1l0y" class=""><img id="qu98etwvj8mm2k1l0y" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24u26lhYPuehjdrtejQCPHBGEBGT9bamiu6L3aPkhD548tE0rUysQannSYFGpFRz.jpeg" alt="Sustainable energy" title="Sustainable energy" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24u26lhYPuehjdrtejQCPHBGEBGT9bamiu6L3aPkhD548tE0rUysQannSYFGpFRz.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Construction — The Quiet Giant<br></h3><p>One of the most revealing numbers sits in the construction sector.</p><p>Right now, around 11% of construction and demolition waste is recycled or reused, while approximately 75% is backfilled.</p><p>Backfilling may avoid landfill, but it doesn’t bring materials back into productive use. With housing and infrastructure high on the national agenda, construction is where circular thinking can make a serious dent in material demand.</p><p>It’s also where the opportunity lies, in reclaiming, reprocessing and reusing materials that are currently treated as low-value by-products.</p><figure id="figure-oqfofsrnomm2k3m0n" class=""><img id="oqfofsrnomm2k3m0n" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" alt="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" title="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>1.9 Billion Containers — Every Year<br></h3><p>Ireland uses around 1.9 billion single-use drinks containers annually.</p><p>That figure alone explains the push behind deposit return systems and collection targets. Under EU rules, Member States must achieve 90% separate collection of plastic beverage bottles by 2029.</p><p>The scale of the container stream makes it one of the most visible examples of linear consumption in action. Improve that flow, and you shift millions of units back into circulation.</p><figure id="figure-gbr718x0yqmm2k5ro4" class=""><img id="gbr718x0yqmm2k5ro4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/201hKG6cmm4Mbp32CJxreulw7Ut64LGkkzmaj0COHiyqtIRho3BV57shOFAG4rsq.jpeg" alt="Amount of styrofoam containers" title="Amount of styrofoam containers" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/201hKG6cmm4Mbp32CJxreulw7Ut64LGkkzmaj0COHiyqtIRho3BV57shOFAG4rsq.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Packaging — Less by Design<br></h3><p>The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requires reductions of:</p><ul><li>5% by 2030.</li><li>10% by 2035.</li><li>15% by 2040,<br>compared to 2018 levels.</li></ul><p>That means less packaging entering the system in the first place.</p><p>For Irish producers and retailers, this is less about bin management and more about redesign. Thinner materials. Refillable systems. Reusable formats. Fewer layers.</p><p>Packaging waste is not accidental, it is designed in. The regulation is effectively asking for it to be designed out.</p><figure id="figure-i4mw3mubrimm2k780f" class=""><img id="i4mw3mubrimm2k780f" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/23bgBHkIbpgahR1lwNISt9HdZNv3dxcx5IbzHmQCK2E279UxZx6xlray3RrGn7aC.jpeg" alt="Online shopping, Shopping cart box on EU European Union flag, import export, finance commerce." title="Online shopping, Shopping cart box on EU European Union flag, import export, finance commerce." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/23bgBHkIbpgahR1lwNISt9HdZNv3dxcx5IbzHmQCK2E279UxZx6xlray3RrGn7aC.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Repair Question<br></h3><p>One of the more practical measures in the strategy is a national Repair Voucher Scheme, to be introduced no later than 2027.</p><p>The logic is simple. Too often, repairing something costs almost as much as replacing it. If the numbers don’t stack up, consumers choose new.</p><p>A voucher scheme narrows that gap and repair work is local by nature. It supports small businesses, keeps skills alive in towns and prevents useful materials from becoming waste prematurely.</p><p>Circularity isn’t always high-tech. Sometimes it’s a screwdriver and a soldering iron.</p><figure id="figure-2su9j3uzdmm2k9e30" class=""><img id="2su9j3uzdmm2k9e30" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1asx1tb5XTKEV9RpGgPgadUvpdBNczqKgsVfVvSke2eaTxPeIq6ZZAd6JDeVdF9S.jpeg" alt="Sharing,reusing,repairing,renovating and recycling existing materials and products as much possible.Circular economy concept. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions are increasing." title="Sharing,reusing,repairing,renovating and recycling existing materials and products as much possible.Circular economy concept. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions are increasing." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1asx1tb5XTKEV9RpGgPgadUvpdBNczqKgsVfVvSke2eaTxPeIq6ZZAd6JDeVdF9S.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Digital Product Passports — Transparency Is Coming<br></h3><p>Under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Digital Product Passports will be introduced for priority product groups, beginning at EU level with areas such as textiles.</p><p>These passports will detail what a product is made of, how durable it is, how repairable it is and how it can be recycled.</p><p>That may not sound revolutionary, but it changes expectations. Manufacturers will need to think differently about lifespan. Consumers will have more information. Supply chains will become more transparent.</p><p>And once transparency enters a market, behaviour usually follows.</p><figure id="figure-01cvibkhzhf5mm2kaoqo" class=""><img id="01cvibkhzhf5mm2kaoqo" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" alt="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" title="Rural Landscape With Pastures In Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/384TfY3Pt6GDbGanVhHn0vYQINwTGf4BysbwlcctjsZ00Rx6K1eIoD6UzbyBV8dO.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Agriculture and the Bioeconomy — Not a Side Note<br></h3><p>Agriculture features within the strategy’s priority sectors as part of the wider bioeconomy. That’s not symbolic.</p><p>Ireland has committed to reducing food waste by 50% by 2030, in line with international targets. That affects supply chains from farm to fork.</p><p>Circularity in agriculture isn’t just about waste reduction. It’s about how organic by-products are managed, how biomass is used, and how value is extracted from materials that previously had little or no economic return.</p><p>For rural enterprise, that opens doors rather than closes them.</p><figure id="figure-yzrbvc89llmm2kcnsx" class=""><img id="yzrbvc89llmm2kcnsx" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cLQX47vDXIGJqkqT4NCWYo5Cc0LPkprztcnLLeT0A5QqcUHbrajOhWSpLqO8fZqc.jpeg" alt="Ahead of the herd" title="Ahead of the herd" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/cLQX47vDXIGJqkqT4NCWYo5Cc0LPkprztcnLLeT0A5QqcUHbrajOhWSpLqO8fZqc.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The Bigger Shift</h3><p>The most striking thing about this strategy is not the individual targets, it’s the starting point.</p><p>2.7% circularity tells us that Ireland remains overwhelmingly dependent on virgin material flows. Reaching 12% by 2030 means rethinking procurement, redesigning products, revaluing waste streams and changing consumer behaviour.</p><p>That won’t happen overnight. It won’t happen evenly. And it won’t happen without friction.</p><p>But it does signal a shift in how growth is being measured.</p><figure id="figure-c1ohchuh3vmm2kdmjf" class=""><img id="c1ohchuh3vmm2kdmjf" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27ARnOzeSZFvexpR5hrOHGE7Se0mWeiNegc6MvTTqNsN6YriAqoB4A3YR3Ym1Quo.jpeg" alt="Make sure not to eat too much too quick" title="Make sure not to eat too much too quick" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/27ARnOzeSZFvexpR5hrOHGE7Se0mWeiNegc6MvTTqNsN6YriAqoB4A3YR3Ym1Quo.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The circular economy can sound abstract. It isn’t.</p><p>It’s about where materials come from, how long they last, and whether we treat waste as an endpoint or as a resource.</p><p>Right now, more than 97% of Ireland’s material use remains linear. That’s the reality. If the strategy succeeds, the percentage will rise year by year, two points at a time, on the way to 12% by 2030.</p><p>Not dramatic headlines, not overnight change, just steady structural adjustment.</p><p>And sometimes, that’s how the most meaningful economic shifts actually happen.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.&nbsp;</p>

Ireland’s Circular Economy Strategy — Why 2.7% Should Get Our Attention

An Adorable Hedgehog is Being Cuddled Gently in Loving Hands, Bringing Plenty of Joy

<h3>Introduction&nbsp;</h3><p>The recent focus on hedgehog conservation has struck a chord with people, and not just because it’s a species everyone recognises.</p><p>For those of us working in agriculture, sustainability and land management, it’s hard to miss the bigger message behind it. When a common, adaptable animal starts disappearing from a landscape as green and farmed as Ireland, it tells us something important about how that landscape is functioning.</p><p>We don’t yet have a single definitive population figure for hedgehogs in Ireland but we do know they are in decline, and we know why: loss of habitat, less connected countryside, and reduced food availability. That mirrors what has already happened in other parts of Europe, where the drops have been dramatic.</p><p>And when you set that alongside the wider biodiversity data for Ireland, the pattern becomes very clear.</p><figure id="figure-dbfm1vx73mm13x071" class=""><img id="dbfm1vx73mm13x071" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2jyuDxUtedP1EilOhR3pzd4RsTpZ5V65WshAsBZf9VVvaGImPFBu3xJgu7pzu0N4.jpeg" alt="Hedgehog grass clover" title="Hedgehog grass clover" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2jyuDxUtedP1EilOhR3pzd4RsTpZ5V65WshAsBZf9VVvaGImPFBu3xJgu7pzu0N4.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The direction of travel is not good — but it is very clear</h3><p>The most recent national assessments show:</p><ul><li>90% of Ireland’s EU-protected habitats are in unfavourable condition.</li><li>56% of our native plant species have declined.</li><li>Of 3,140 species assessed, 14.7% are now threatened with extinction and 2.7% are regionally extinct.</li></ul><p><br>Those aren’t niche conservation figures. They describe the living systems that farming depends on, the soils, insects, water cycles and plant communities that make production possible in the first place.</p><p>At the same time, farmland covers almost 68% of Ireland’s land area.<br>So whatever way we look at it, the future of biodiversity in this country is going to be decided on farms.</p><figure id="figure-0krc6tage5mm13yy4m" class=""><img id="0krc6tage5mm13yy4m" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21S00nQyy33ungCPpZMX45JUlEYk0hTnH6ZkMMpUTFdUiPs7DJbJFOofAhBqJtRR.jpeg" alt="Hedgehog grass clover" title="Hedgehog grass clover" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/21S00nQyy33ungCPpZMX45JUlEYk0hTnH6ZkMMpUTFdUiPs7DJbJFOofAhBqJtRR.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>This isn’t just about wildlife — it’s about how productive landscapes work<br></h3><p>Hedgehogs need a very particular kind of countryside:</p><ul><li>Hedgerows with real structure.</li><li>Margins that aren’t sterile.</li><li>Insects in the soil and sward.</li><li>The ability to move safely from one field to the next<br></li></ul><p>That’s not a romantic picture of the past. That’s a functioning agricultural landscape.</p><p>Because the same features also support pollination, natural pest control, water regulation and soil health. Take pollinators as one example. In Ireland:</p><ul><li>30 of our 99 wild bee species are at risk of extinction.</li><li>insect pollination is worth up to €59 million per year to Irish food production.</li><li>That’s not an environmental add-on,&nbsp; that’s a production input we don’t have to pay for when the system is working.</li></ul><p>Birds tell a similar story:</p><ul><li>Twenty-six per cent of Ireland’s regularly occurring bird species are now on the Red List and 37% on the Amber List.</li><li>Overall, 63% are now considered of conservation concern.</li></ul><p>Again, these are not abstract losses. These are indicators of how simplified and disconnected parts of the farmed landscape have become.</p><figure id="figure-jbumvmannmm142n9m" class=""><img id="jbumvmannmm142n9m" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/212oGTeM7BgCn5akYBM4VXDRmYAOvhlp5qLKYKzwFifZ3ZHB4LdhQRNDbGQY4lUl.jpeg" alt="Swans, cygnets and ducks" title="Swans, cygnets and ducks" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/212oGTeM7BgCn5akYBM4VXDRmYAOvhlp5qLKYKzwFifZ3ZHB4LdhQRNDbGQY4lUl.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Biodiversity is now a farm business issue<br></h3><p>There’s a tendency to talk about biodiversity as if it’s a constraint. In reality, it’s becoming an asset, and a measurable one.</p><p>Ireland’s biodiversity is estimated to deliver around €2.6 billion per year in ecosystem services. That includes soil formation, nutrient cycling, pollination and water regulation, the things that keep input costs down and productivity stable.</p><p>At the same time, policy and markets are moving in the same direction.<br>Future supports, supply-chain requirements and sustainability reporting are all increasingly looking for evidence of environmental performance.</p><p>So the question for farms is changing from: “How do we fit biodiversity in?”to: “How do we use it to strengthen the system?”</p><figure id="figure-mhvd61aiuimm146vor" class=""><img id="mhvd61aiuimm146vor" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/253G6ySxuNxQj1QzkcOj8geR5Vr35C8SYHczJWMsW03dguDkOSC24sxfVwiuhs6Q.jpeg" alt="Eurasian Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula" title="Eurasian Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/253G6ySxuNxQj1QzkcOj8geR5Vr35C8SYHczJWMsW03dguDkOSC24sxfVwiuhs6Q.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The practical side: most of the solutions are already familiar<br></h3><p>What’s interesting is that the actions that help hedgehogs are not radical or new. They are the same measures that come up again and again in good farm planning:</p><p><strong>Managing hedgerows for structure rather than appearance:</strong><br></p><ul><li>Cutting on rotation and allowing flowering and fruiting makes them useful as habitat while still doing their job for stock and shelter.</li></ul><p><strong>Keeping and managing field margins:</strong><br></p><ul><li>These areas protect water, support insects and create movement corridors across the farm.</li></ul><p><strong>Reducing chemical pressure where it makes sense:</strong></p><ul><li>Not as an ideology, but as a way of supporting soil biology and the wider food web that production ultimately depends on.</li></ul><p><strong>Improving connectivity:</strong><br></p><ul><li>Because in a fragmented landscape, even small changes in permeability make a real difference.</li></ul><p>None of this takes land out of farming. It makes the land work better.</p><figure id="figure-s2q4cmxhamm148q6p" class=""><img id="s2q4cmxhamm148q6p" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1eXmtey1ni8jGbrItnJ0IjPIlpDOp2HCnSLXga7VCWFgTag3iSR2uyD9faTXUbmM.jpeg" alt="Ireland" title="Ireland" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/1eXmtey1ni8jGbrItnJ0IjPIlpDOp2HCnSLXga7VCWFgTag3iSR2uyD9faTXUbmM.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Why the hedgehog is such a powerful starting point<br></h3><p>There are more endangered species than the hedgehog, there are rarer ones, there are more scientifically important ones. But the hedgehog has something they don’t: everyone knows it.</p><p>That matters, because it creates a bridge between the public conversation about biodiversity and the day-to-day reality of farm management.</p><p>And from an advisory and consultancy perspective, it opens the door to a much more useful discussion, one about how farms can:</p><ul><li>Deliver measurable environmental outcomes.</li><li>Align with CAP and future schemes.</li><li>Reduce long-term production risk.</li><li>Strengthen their market position.</li></ul><figure id="figure-ujd2yjl3m4mm14aymj" class=""><img id="ujd2yjl3m4mm14aymj" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/32F7QdIqqDpJ2ib8IG4k3ADNZHsYy6SqQAN5SplCRm8e5INFR4HmzZUEFgp1zhtY.jpeg" alt="Hedgehog" title="Hedgehog" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/32F7QdIqqDpJ2ib8IG4k3ADNZHsYy6SqQAN5SplCRm8e5INFR4HmzZUEFgp1zhtY.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>The farms that will be strongest in the next decade<br></h3><p>If there is one thing the data is telling us, it’s this:</p><p>The most resilient farms in the future will not just be the most productive.<br>They will be the ones that can show:</p><ul><li>Functioning habitats.</li><li>Healthy soils.</li><li>Clean water.</li><li>Visible biodiversity</li></ul><p>Because those are the farms that will fit policy, fit markets and cope best with climate pressure.</p><figure id="figure-5vanpk6cemm14cpzi" class=""><img id="5vanpk6cemm14cpzi" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" alt="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" title="Herd of cattle on fresh green field with dark, moody sky in background" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/24Ueuv1oD8iDjf8XzwH65DY44JF6qjF59z3qrFSGhIBjOlz2mDgN6dsuIMOxqYqy.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In practical terms, it leaves it exactly where it has always been, in the hedgerow, in the margin, moving quietly across fields at night.</p><p>But as an indicator, it’s doing something much bigger. It’s showing us, in a very familiar and very visible way, whether the systems we are designing are working. And if we start to see it returning to places where it has disappeared, that won’t just be a conservation success.</p><p>It will be a sign that we are getting the balance right between production, sustainability and long-term viability in the Irish agricultural landscape.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>*By Anne Hayden MSc., Founder, The Informed Farmer Consultancy.</p>

Blog

EU-Australia Trade Deal: Key Concerns for Farmers

Impact of Iran Conflict and Oil Prices on Irish Agriculture

A Wet Winter in Ireland: What It Means for Farming as Spr...

Europe Has Less Beef to Sell — and That Changes the Conve...

Ireland’s Circular Economy Strategy — Why 2.7% Should Get...

What the Hedgehog Is Telling Us About the Future of Irish...