Having been chosen by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) to ‘live stream’ this year’s National Ploughing Championships, AgriLand’s coverage will kick off from 12:00pm.

Now Ireland’s largest agricultural news publisher, AgriLand will broadcast live from Screggan over the course of the three-day event. Coverage will run for a total of five hours each day.

The stream will be available on AgriLand’s website and across all devices – including app and mobile. It will also be available directly from the NPA’s website. Click here for a full schedule of the ‘live stream’

And, with a mixture of cloud and some sunny spells hanging over our heads this morning on the first day of the ‘Ploughing’, the AgriLand team is looking forward to bringing you a jam-packed schedule.

Following on from an opening message, the stream will kick-off with a panel discussion between some of the senior officials within Ireland’s farming organisations on the face of agriculture today.

Chaired by AgriLand’s Claire McCormack, the panel will consist of: Deputy President of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Richard Kennedy; President of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), Patrick Kent; President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), John Comer; National Chair of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), Brendan O’Malley; and Macra na Feirme’s Agriculture and Rural Affair’s Manager, Derry Dillon.

At 12:30pm, our roving reporter Sarah Delaney will pay a quick visit to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s stand to discuss the advice on offer to farmers regarding electronic payments.

Between 12:35pm and lunchtime, Rachel Martin will spend some time at Macra na Feirme’s stand. She will get to experience the organisation’s tractor skills demonstration and tractor pool karaoke – before speaking with the National President of Macra na Feirme, James Healy.

During a 45-minute segment to begin at 1:15pm, Claire McCormack will speak with students participating in the Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition – who will provide an update on the progress of the calves that they received at last year’s National Ploughing Championships.

Taking us right through then until 3:00pm, Richard Halleron will chair a panel discussion on the dairy sector with the Deputy President of the ICMSA, Pat McCormack, and Head of Farmer Relations at Glanbia Ireland, Pat O’Keefe.

AgriLand’s Northern Irish correspondent, Rachel Martin, is then scheduled to interview Andrew Gill, a young ploughman and leukemic survivor. At 3:15pm, Claire will speak with the Head of Teagasc’s Pig Development Department, Ciaran Carroll.

From 3:30pm, the Minister for European Affairs, Helen McEntee, is scheduled to launch the 2018 Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition at the Irish Angus Beef stand.

A panel discussion on farmer health – chaired by Claire McCormack – is then set to get underway in the AgriLand stand at 4:00pm.

The panel will consist of: former world sheep shearing champion and mental health advocate, George Graham; Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist, John McNamara; and Health Check Manager at Irish Heart, Marese Damery.

Closing the broadcast at 4:45pm, Rachel Martin will speak to the NPA’s Anna Marie McHugh as she reflects on the first day of the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

AgriLand’s ‘live stream’ of one of Europe’s largest outdoor events will return tomorrow at 12:00pm, with another packed schedule of interesting discussions and interviews.

Don’t forget to stay tuned to AgriLand for plenty of news coverage from the ‘Ploughing’ and further afield.