Gender equality, herd numbers, milk cheques and the crucial role women play in farming were all on the agenda during the first National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture in Co. Laois, hosted by the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue.

The Minister told the conference that agriculture is still largely a male dominated sector and that the key objective of the Dialogue was to start a new conversation about women in agriculture.

The conference, chaired by former minister for agriculture, Mary Coughlan, featured a number of high-profile speakers from the worlds of farming and the agri-food sector who shared their experiences and examined potential barriers to success for women in farming.