Weather

Mostly cloudy on Friday morning with intermittent rain or drizzle. In the afternoon, the southern half of the country will brighten up. The rain will continue in Connacht, Ulster and north Leinster and will clear northwards in the evening and early night. Highest temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees with light to moderate southwest breezes.

In the news

  • Belgian opposition has postponed the signature of the CETA agreement, which includes significant liberalisation of agri-food trade between Canada and the EU. A proposed solution emerged on Thursday.
  • Tara McCarthy has been appointed as the new Bord Bia CEO, she will replace Aidan Cotter in early 2017.
  • Farmer writes: with the slurry deadline now passed, the weather over the last week has made a mockery out of calendar farming, writes Co Sligo farmer Trevor Boland.
  • Speaking at the Irish Country Living's Women & Ag conference yesterday, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said that a new €150m loan fund is to open in January 2017.
  • Property: Coolstown House and Stud, Greenmount, Castlebellingham comes with a lovely Victorian-style stable yard, writes Shirley Busteed.
  • The Government needs to work with landowners to implement a long-term strategy to maximise the potential of uplands, according to Midlands-North-West MEP Luke Ming Flanagan.

    • Coming up

  • Weekend weather.
  • Mart watch update.

    • What’s on

    To see what’s on in your area visit our agri-events calendar.