Latest news with #AnnualReport2024
Agriland
3 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Ground limestone usage down slightly in 2024
The use of ground limestone as a fertiliser declined in 2024 according to data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The Annual Report 2024 just published by DAFM, shows that ground limestone usage was down 0.17% on the previous year (2023) to 1,017,256t. Meanwhile, sales of fertiliser in 2024 showed an 8.3% increase in overall fertiliser sales, compared to the same period of the previous year. Overall nutrient sales increased by 8.6%. There was a 10.6% and 7.4% increase in the sale of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), while phosphorus (P) sales were down 6.6% on the previous year. The department's control programme for fertiliser and lime verifies that the products on the market are labelled correctly and meet minimum nutrient requirements. In 2024, a total of 281 samples were taken at manufacturers' premises (190 fertiliser samples and 91 lime samples). 456 individual analyses were performed for fertiliser and about 2% out-of-tolerance was recorded for these samples. All out of tolerance results were investigated by DAFM, and appropriate actions were taken by the companies involved according to the Annual Report 2024. 2023 (Oct 1, 2022 – Sept 30, 2023) and 2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024) sales of fertiliser products, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from manufacturers and blenders to Fertiliser Economic Operators (source: manufacturer and blenders quarterly voluntary returns). Table source: DAFM Annual Report 2024 The control programme did not find any non-compliances with urea products in 2024. The National Fertiliser Database (NFD) records fertiliser sales and transactions along the supply chain, from import into the state, to end use. According to DAFM, this end-to-end solution has been designed and implemented to: Provide data that can be used to improve fertiliser management; Help fertiliser users to quantify and reduce the amount of fertiliser used; Be scalable, robust and secure for a large and diverse userbase. NFD is for all professional users of fertiliser and lime, and a solution has been designed to cater for all stakeholders, according to the department. Simplicity of use has been a key driver in the design of NFD, this was achieved through consultation throughout its design with farmers, cooperatives, merchants, sporting organisations, landscapers and parks, importers, I.T providers, and manufacturers. NFD offers a dataset for future policy decisions and will help Ireland to reach environmental and water quality ambitions, the department has stated.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Health
- Agriland
E14 6m Paid to Vets for Tb Testing in 2024
More than €14.6 million euro was paid to vets for bovine tuberculosis (TB) testing in 2024. That's according to the Annual Report 2024 for the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM). TB is a highly infectious disease of cattle caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). M. bovis can cause disease in other domestic or wild animals and in humans. Since 1954, Ireland has culled around 2.5 million TB reactor animals in an effort to eradicate TB. At the end of 2024, bovine TB herd incidence increased to 6.04% from 4.94% at the end of 2023. The number of reactors increased by almost 44% to 41,682 in 2024 from 28,901 in 2023. There is considerable regional variation in TB levels across Ireland, which can be seen from the map below. Source: DAFM Annual Report 2025 Ireland's Bovine TB Eradication Programme operates in line with best national and international scientific research and advice, according to DAFM. A large body of peer-reviewed research has been conducted into the spread of TB in Ireland and the risks underlying its transmission. The Bovine TB Eradication Programme is designed to eradicate bovine TB from the cattle herd in Ireland. The programme is necessary because of the high incidence of the disease in the country; the infectivity of the disease; the potential risks to humans; interference with animal productivity; and preservation of export markets, particularly live exports. The main elements of the programme are as follows: Annual testing of the national herd and/or designated categories of animals; Supplementary testing on a risk basis where appropriate (e.g., contiguous herds, special check tests etc.); Primary responsibility for arranging testing and paying for certain tests, with farmers paying for the annual round test and other private tests which account for about 70% of the testing costs; A compensation regime for farmers who suffer a disease outbreak; The payment by farmers of disease levies to help fund the compensation regime; A reactor collection service to ensure rapid removal of infected animals in a manner to avoid the spread of the disease; A programme aimed at preventing TB spread by wildlife (removal & vaccination of badgers). The annual report from DAFM outlines that badgers are vaccinated by veterinary staff with BCG to reduce the transmission of TB between badgers. This has been demonstrated in field trials to reduce the reproduction number (R0) in badgers from 1.2 to 0.5. DAFM has stated that the badger vaccination programme in Ireland has a "crucial role" in reducing the risk of TB in cattle from a badger source. The area of Ireland subject to vaccination stood at 24,874km² at the end of 2024. In 2024, the focus was on continuing to identify as many new setts as possible to ensure good population penetration in badger vaccination areas and to continue to review operations to ensure high badger capture rates. The badger app, which was launched in October 2021, continues to be used by farmers to pin badger activity locations on farmland. There were 740 submissions made on the app in 2024. These locations are then followed up by wildlife officers. Department staff have also engaged with farmers, farming organisations and state bodies to help further identify badger setts and badger activity. In 2024, 8,123 badgers were captured in vaccination areas, of these 3,832 badgers were newly vaccinated. Additionally, 7,267 badgers were removed where exposure to TB in badgers resulted in bovine TB breakdowns on farms. The table below sets out the annual expenditure if the bovine tuberculosis programme. Annual expenditure ('000() % difference 2024-2023 % difference 2024-2022 % difference 2023-2022 2022 2023 2024 Compensation - other €3,641 €5,060 €9,662 91% 165% 39% Vet fees - testing €13,574 €13,262 €14,623 10% 8% -2% Supplies €8,103 €10,629 €8,615 -19% 6% 31% Research €1,131 €832 €1,789 116% 59% -26% On farm market valuation €22,880 €34,748 €54,348 56% 138% 52% Valuer fees €660 €818 €1,181 44% 79% 24% Wildlife €6,407 €7,673 €9,171 20% 43% 20% Other costs €1,052 €1,252 €1,218 -3% 16% 19% Total €57,448 €74,283 €100,616 35% 75% 29% Source: DAFM Annual Report 2025 The On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme is the main measure for compensating farmers for the removal of TB reactor animals. Supplementary schemes such as Depopulation Grants, Income Supplement and Hardship Grants compensate for income losses and additional feed costs due to restriction. €64 million was spent during 2024 on all compensation elements of the TB Eradication Programme. Receipts from Bovine Diseases Levies increased in 2024 to €8.1 million compared to €7.9 million in 2023.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Ireland Recorded 28 Agri Food Trade Surplus of E5 2bn Last Year Billion
In 2024, Ireland recorded a 28% agri-food trade surplus of €5.2 billion, figures show. Agriculture and the agri-food sector continue to play a vital role in Ireland's economy, and last year, agri-food exports were valued at a record €19.1 billion, accounting for 6% of modified gross national income and 8.6% of merchandise exports in terms of value. This is an increase of close to €1 billion or over 5.4% by value compared to 2023, and an increase of approximately 1% by value on the previous peak level achieved in 2022. This data is compiled in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Annual Report 2024, which has just been published. Last year, the UK remained Ireland's largest agri-food export destination, accounting for 38% of total agri-food exports. Exports grew by €461 million by value, from €6.8 billion in 2023 to €7.3 billion in 2024. The top three export categories in 2024 were dairy produce at €6.5 billion, beef at €3.1 billion and beverages at €2.2 billion, accounting for €12 billion or 62% of total agri-food exports. Full-year export values were driven by beverages, which were up €288 million or 15%. Dairy produce (up 2%), beef (up 5%), miscellaneous edible products and preparations (up almost 26%), fruit and vegetables (up 52%) also contributed to this increase. More than 85% of Irish dairy production is exported and in general, there are few restrictions on dairy produce exports. In 2024, Ireland exported dairy products to approximately 140 countries with a value exceeding €6 billion for the third year in a row. This represented a 13.2% volume growth and 2.4% value increase compared to the same period in 2023. The value of dairy exports has increased by approximately 25% since 2020. Butter is Ireland's leading dairy product in terms of value of exports and had an exceptional year in 2024 – in both the US and continental Europe – and for the sixth consecutive year the value of Irish butter exports exceeded €1 billion in 2024, a 21% increase on 2023 value. The volume of butter exports has decreased by 4% from 2023. Butter accounted for 22% of total dairy exports in 2024. In terms of product mix, looking at the year 2024, fat-filled powders were Ireland's leading export by volume, accounting for 22% of the dairy exports (1.2% by value) followed by follow-on formula (16% by volume and 13% by value), cheese (15% by volume and 22% by value) and butter (13% by volume, 25% by value). Looking at market destinations, the EU accounts for 40% of the value of Irish dairy exports. Export certification provides the necessary assurance to an importing country's governments and regulatory agencies in relation to Ireland's status as a safe, secure, and sustainable source of agri-food products. In 2024, 25,722 export certificates were provided to the dairy industry in total, which was a slight increase on the total provided for 2023. Of these, 13,814 were health certificates, 11,781 were veterinary certificates and 127 were intracommunity certificates. CSO data shows that 491,948 tonnes of beef worth over €3.1 billion was exported in 2024. In comparison with 2023, export volumes were up 7,504 tonnes (1.5%) in volume terms and €141 million (4.6%) in value terms. The UK accounted for 46% of total beef exports by value and 42% by volume in 2024. EU markets accounted for 47% of exports by value and 46% by volume. The main EU markets in order of magnitude were France, Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Sweden. Other significant markets outside Europe were China, the Philippines, Japan, Canada and the US. According to the CSO, sheepmeat export values decreased by €19.3 million (or 5%) to €394 million, while volume decreased by 11,492 metric tonnes (or 18%) to 53,281 tonnes. The top 10 export destinations cumulatively accounted for more than 95% of sheepmeat exports by volume and value. Of these, France and Germany were the principal EU markets accounting for 53% of total exports in value and 51% in volume terms during 2024. The UK remained an important destination market, representing 13% and 17% of exports by value and volume respectively. Other significant markets were the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. According to CSO figures, the value of pigmeat exports was €889.4 million last year. Pigmeat exports represent 4.7% of all Irish agri-food exports in terms of value. The UK remains the largest export destination for Irish pigmeat with just over 84,000 tonnes of pigmeat valued at €455 million exported in 2024, representing 51% of total export value for the sector. UK exports saw an increase on 2023 of 6.8%. Markets such as China, Denmark, and Australia saw a decrease in value on the previous year. Chinese exports were valued at €103 million, a decrease of 4% on 2023. The number of producers of hen eggs was 272 in 2024, with a corresponding flock capacity of 3.95 million hens. The retailer-led shift to barn egg production is evident, and in 2024, capacity to produce barn eggs increased from 9% in 2023 to 20% in 2024. Exports of eggs in 2024 were valued at €40.9 million. There were almost 10 million table eggs exported to third countries, including Great Britan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Exports in the prepared consumer food (PCF) sector in 2024 were valued at €3.57 billion, an increase of 8% on the value of 2023 figures and a 6% rise in volume exported. The UK continues to be the main export location for Irish PCFs, consisting of €2.32 billion of the overall export total. This figure represents 65% of the value of PCF exports and nearly 80% of overall export tonnage in the sector and a rise in value of 11% on the 2023 figure. Exports to European partners accounted for 26% of the overall value at €929 million. Of these, Germany continues to be the leading importer of Irish prepared consumer food with a total of €151 million, followed by the Netherlands on €143 million and France on €144 million. Outside of the EU, the US remained the largest market accounting for 4% of exports and valued at €132 million. This represents a 3% increase in value on 2023 but a 1% decrease in tonnage. Exports of cereal-based products performed strongly in 2024, with a 22% growth on both volume and value on 2023 figures, rising to €150 million. Ireland's meat preparation products continue to be the largest single category for prepared consumer foods exports, with a 31% share of all exports in the sector. While both value and tonnage remained stable on 2023 figures, exports continued to be valued at over €1 billion.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Marine fish landings in Andhra Pradesh drop by 8 per cent
VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh recorded 1.75 lakh tonnes of marine fish landings in 2024, reflecting an 8% decrease compared to 2023 and a 19% drop from 2022, according to the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) Annual Report 2024. Kakinada district accounted for the largest share of landings at 40%, followed by Visakhapatnam with 22%. The Juvvaladinne fishing harbour in Nellore district, which became operational in June 2024, contributed 3% of the state's major fishing harbour landings. Among species, Indian mackerel recorded the highest landings at 32,490 tonnes, marking a 76% increase from the previous year and the highest in the last ten years. Lesser sardines showed a marginal recovery with a 3% rise, after a sharp decline of 72% in 2023. Other significant pelagic contributors included carangids (7.9%), ribbonfish (7.7%), and clupeids (4.4%). Among demersal resources, the dominant groups were perches (15.9%), followed closely by croakers (14.3%), silverbellies (11.2%), threadfin breams (9.4%), and catfish (5.6%). In the crustacean category, penaeid shrimps dominated landings with 70.8%, while crabs accounted for 26.9% and non-penaeid shrimps made up 1.5%. Molluscan landings were comprised of cuttlefish (56%), squids (35.4%), and octopuses (8.6%). Lower catch in final quarter attributed to heatwaves & cyclonic disturbances Other fishing methods included hook and line and non-motorised gears. Catch rates improved from the previous year, with single-day trawlers recording 83 kg per hour and multiday trawlers 43 kg per hour. Ring seines showed the highest catch per unit at 886 kg, followed by hook and line at 380 kg and gillnets at 156 kg. Non-motorised fishing units recorded 91 kg per unit.
Business Recorder
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
FTO presents Annual Report 2024 to Advisor Media
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman Secretariat marked a significant development on Thursday as the FTO, Dr Asif Mahmood Jah, formally presented the Annual Report 2024 to Abdul Basit Khan — a renowned senior bureaucrat, writer, PTV actor, and media analyst — now appointed as the Advisor Media to the FTO. Abdul Basit Khan's illustrious career spans over four decades of public service, holding key positions in both federal and provincial governments. From Additional Secretary at the Ministry of National Food Security to Executive Director at NIPS, and senior roles in the Federal Insurance, Provincial and Federal Ombudsman offices, Khan has consistently demonstrated leadership and strategic insight. Beyond his civil service career, he is fondly remembered for his impact full performances on PTV in the late 1990s — making him a rare combination of administrative acumen and creative expression. Welcoming him to the Secretariat, Honourable FTO Dr Asif Mahmood Jah emphasized the value of such a multifaceted appointment: 'With his unique blend of governance experience and media savvy, Basit Khan is well-positioned to revolutionize the FTO's outreach and communication efforts.' Khan, expressing deep gratitude for the trust reposed in him, stated: 'I am honoured to serve as Advisor Media to the Federal Tax Ombudsman. My focus will be on building bridges between taxpayers and the FTO, enhancing public trust, and amplifying awareness through targeted campaigns across electronic and print media.' With this strategic addition, the FTO Secretariat anticipates a more dynamic and citizen-centric communication framework. His vision is set to usher in innovative public awareness initiatives, ensuring that every aggrieved taxpayer feels heard, informed, and empowered. This appointment signals a promising chapter where professionalism meets creativity — synergy that is bound to elevate the visibility and impact of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Secretariat. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
