This weeks news round up takes us to the Balmoral Show, which took centre stage this week, with three days of the show including a visit from Princess Anne and politicians, exhibitions, cattle showing and lots more. We've some great videos of the show from our friends in Ulster Bank. Watch Day 2 here.This week the ICBF published the top 200 herds in the country, ranked on EBI. There is no change in the top two herds on the list, with Liam O’Leary, Conna, Co. Cork and Martin Kinane, Ballyglass, Co. Tipperary still occupying the top two positions. Click here for the full story.Some 30,000 farmers are expected to enter the new GLAS scheme next year when it is opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Announcing details this week, he said that the new programme will have an average spend of €600 million every year.Anyone looking for clarification on whether animals such as donkeys and horses meet the criteria for being a 'livestock unit' were told 'yes' this week by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. However, he warned that possible changes to this legislation are quite possible.Live trade of cattle to the UK is open for business, according to the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney, and are up 25% on last year. The Minister was responding to parliamentary question tabled by former Fine Gael Agriculture Spokesman Denis Naughten on steps he is taking to open up the live export cattle trade to the UK.Also this week, the National Dairy Council ran a vast array of events to mark National Diary Week, including farm walks, transition year competition awards and a conference on the value of milk. Don't forget to enter our competition to win the use of a Lely tedder for the silage seasons. Entry is easy and found here.

News round up for the week

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