Richard Halleron

Richard Halleron Profile Picture

News Correspondent

Richard Halleron is an agricultural chemist by background. He is a past chairman of the Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science and has also served as Chairman of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists in Northern Ireland.

BEAM me up Minister!

Opinion

BEAM me up Minister!

The Beef Emergency Aid Measure (BEAM) has been getting an inordinate amount of media coverage over recent days. But here’s...
NIRS is revolutionising grassland and forage management

Grass

NIRS is revolutionising grassland and forage management

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is at the heart of numerous new technologies, all designed to help farmers and contractors secure accurate...
Agri-environment subsidies provide more stable farm incomes than direct payments

Environment

Agri-environment subsidies provide more stable farm incomes than direct payments

Subsidies paid to farmers for protecting the environment lead to more stable incomes compared with payments based purely on the...
Five-fold increase in the area of protein crops is on the cards

Tillage

Five-fold increase in the area of protein crops is on the cards

According to the Head of Teagasc’s Crops Knowledge Transfer Department, Michael Hennessy, tillage farmers would be keen to deliver a...
Vulture funds need to be totally transparent

Opinion

Vulture funds need to be totally transparent

I sense that the amount of money owed by Irish farmers to vulture funds has increased dramatically over recent years....
Tsunami of bankruptcy cases may overwhelm Irish agriculture later this year

Rural Life

Tsunami of bankruptcy cases may overwhelm Irish agriculture later this year

A leading barrister has claimed that large numbers of bankruptcy claims will be made by Ireland’s financial institutions as soon...
Farm antibiotic usage is falling in Northern Ireland

Beef

Farm antibiotic usage is falling in Northern Ireland

The recently published Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) ‘Targets Task Force Report 2020’ confirms that sales of...
Feeding higher levels of concentrate to dairy cows at grass is sustainable

Dairy

Feeding higher levels of concentrate to dairy cows at grass is sustainable

Economic modelling has confirmed that farmers operating a highly stocked, low concentrate milking system would be highly impacted by a...
Stocking density versus national milk output: What is the proper balance?

Dairy

Stocking density versus national milk output: What is the proper balance?

Given the environmental constraints coming down the track for the Irish milk sector, scientists at University College Dublin (UCD) Lyons...
EBI can be used successfully in high output dairy herds

Dairy

EBI can be used successfully in high output dairy herds

Economic Breeding Index (EBI) can be used as an effective herd management tool across all dairy production scenarios, according to...
Arla aims to double sales to €600 million

Agri-Business

Arla aims to double sales to €600 million

Arla is fast tracking its plans to become Europe’s e-commerce leader within the dairy sector. The dairy co-op aims to...
‘Stop/start’ harvest results in challenging year for Irish potato growers

Tillage

‘Stop/start’ harvest results in challenging year for Irish potato growers

Not getting the maincrop harvest completed until the days directly before Christmas has added considerably to the production costs incurred...
McAleer concerned over UK’s commitment to gene-editing

Tillage

McAleer concerned over UK’s commitment to gene-editing

The chairman of Stormont’s Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Declan McAleer MLA, has cautioned against the public commitment...
Carbon footprint is a ‘red herring’ for Irish agriculture

Opinion

Carbon footprint is a ‘red herring’ for Irish agriculture

The New Year has brought no easing of the pressure on Irish agriculture to push for a ‘net zero’ carbon...
Working group on PGI status is 2021 priority for LMC

N.Ireland

Working group on PGI status is 2021 priority for LMC

Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) chief executive Ian Stevenson expects 2021 to be a busy year for farmers, processers and...
Feed price increases will hit pig farmers’ bottom line immediately

Pig/Poultry

Feed price increases will hit pig farmers’ bottom line immediately

The imminent hike in grain and compound feed prices will hit pig farmer margins almost immediately, according to Irish Farmers’...
‘Irish Grass Fed Standard’ starting to make its mark in the UK

Beef

‘Irish Grass Fed Standard’ starting to make its mark in the UK

Last autumn’s launch of Bord Bia’s ‘Grass Fed Standard’ marketing initiative is helping to deliver an enhanced profile for Irish...
Compound feed prices set for imminent hike

Dairy

Compound feed prices set for imminent hike

Compound feed prices are set to increase by as much as €15 per tonne over the coming days, grain trade...