It is 50 years since Masstock starting building a vast dairy operation in Saudi Arabia. Co-founder Alastair McGuckian, who celebrated his 90th birthday this week, reflects on a lifetime bringing Irish farming expertise to the world.
Jerry O’Callaghan left religious life, travelled to India, fell in love in Brazil and eventually became chair of JBS, the $96bn food giant. He reflects on an unlikely journey and shares lessons for businesses in Ireland.
By holding on to PLC shares earmarked for sale four and half years ago, the dairy co-op has paid off its de-merger from the nutrition multinational and amassed an investment fund almost twice as large as planned.
After an exceptional 2025, farmers are reluctant to steer their milk processors towards M&As. Could the clouds gathering over commodity markets spur them to consider new joint businesses like Ornua instead?
The livestock nutrition business has sold assets, outsourced non-core functions, and refocused on its feed ingredients business. With less debt, it is again capable of modest investment.
Irish company BioAtlantis creates crop stimulants using extracts from seaweed found off Ireland’s Atlantic coast, helping producers boost yields and withstand climate stress.
These islands are too small for leading Irish beef and lamb processors. The Queally and Browne families will use lessons learned in a previous French joint venture to leverage their new Kiwi acquisition.
Improving returns are only partially translating into the agribusiness’s share price – and its leadership is not wedded to the stock market.
Spirits were high at the National Ploughing Championships this week. Mercosur, nitrates and CAP changes are coming, but for the moment, farmers are celebrating a year of record high prices in beef and dairy.
Origin Enterprises is on course to diversify a third of profits outside its 200-year-old agribusiness, says Sean Coyle, but not necessarily as a listed company.
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