National Dairy Conference takes place in Kilkenny later this month
Joe Patton, Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge pictured at the 2022 National Dairy Conference in Rochestown, Co Cork. Picture: O'Gorman Photography
Teagasc's National Dairy Conference will take place on Wednesday, November 29, in the Lyrath Hotel, Co Kilkenny.
The theme of this year's event is 'adapting to a changing dairy farming environment'.
Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc Joe Patton said the conference this year will "tackle some of the most pressing issues currently facing dairy farmers".
"It will feature a range of practical workshops where farmers attending can meet and interact with researchers, advisors, and leading dairy farmers on a range of issues such as grazing and nitrogen strategies, future farm stocking rate decisions, nutrient management technologies, and the potential benefits of flexible milking schedules," he said.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue will deliver the opening address.
This will be followed by the first technical session on the 'key drivers of milk production costs in dairy systems', which will feature a presentation from David Beca, Red Sky Agri Consulting, Australia.
Mr Beca has specialised in identifying and reporting on the primary drivers of productivity and profitability in grazing systems.
He operates Red Sky, an agricultural business analysis and benchmarking software application that has wide use across Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Following this international perspective, Joe Patton will present some key trends in cost structure on Irish dairy farms, and highlight the value of dairy cost benchmarking as a business development practice.
The second session of the day is 'getting to grips with labour challenges on dairy farms’.
The discussion will centre on farm task organisation and the structures of work schedules on Irish dairy farms, with a view to identifying areas for progress.
Marion Beecher, Teagasc Moorepark, will present the results of a recent labour study involving 55 dairy farms, which will address key questions around scheduling, rosters, use of non-core labour, and labour costs.
John Whelan, a dairy farmer from Co Wexford, and Brendan Joyce, who is dairy farming in Co Kilkenny will both speak as well.
Mr Whelan will outline how he makes use of contractors for key tasks at peak times, manages weekend work for staff, and lessons learned in a growing dairy business.
Mr Joyce will share his top tips for efficient work routines in spring, the labour benefits of a simple system, and the importance of capitalising on-off peak time.
A number of workshops will also take place in the afternoon.
