Setting the scene for the Teagasc National Beef Conference
The countdown is on to the Teagasc National Beef Conference, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 19 in Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim.
Reflecting the changing environmental landscape in which farmers play a key role, the theme of this year’s Teagasc National Beef Conference is ‘Sustainable Beef Farming: Pathways to a greener future’.
Announcing details of this year’s conference, Teagasc Head of Drystock Knowledge Transfer, Pearse Kelly commented: “This year at the National Beef Conference we have focused on providing the latest research and best advice for beef farmers on ways to implement sustainable technologies on beef farms, and how we can take advantage of these drivers globally. We hope that the conference will offer an opportunity for constructive discussion of these issues.
“On the night, attendees will have an opportunity to meet and talk with members of staff from a number of departments in Teagasc and wider health and wellbeing professionals. The conference is free for to all and will be well worth attending.”
Session one
Session one will commence at 5pm, when Teagasc Drystock Advisor, Tom Coll will chair a session on ‘Innovating for Efficiency: Smart farming in the Irish beef sector’.
Speakers for this session include:
- Peter Doyle, Research Officer, Teagasc Grange will outline the impact of red and white clover on animal performance in suckler calf-to-beef production systems
- Patrick Forrestal, Senior Research Officer from Teagasc Johnstown Castle will discuss some practical nutrient management solutions that beef farmers can implement on their farms to increase efficiency, reduce costs and address environmental pressures facing the sector.
- John Donlon, Research Officer, Teagasc Grange will out outline ways to control pneumonia in suckler weanlings.
Session two
Following a short interval at which point refreshments will be served, proceedings for session two will commence at 7.15pm, where the theme will be ‘Harnessing Innovation: Future proofing Irish beef farming’.
This promises to be a very interesting and informative session and will be chaired by Alice Doyle, IFA Deputy President & Member of Teagasc Authority.
Speakers in this session include:
- Eoin Ryan, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will discuss the risks for Irish cattle farmers in relation bluetongue
- Martina Harrington, Programme Manager, Future Beef Programme, Teagasc will outline Innovations on the participants of Future Beef Suckler Farms
- Shane Pearson, Design Your Life Coaching, will outline ways for farmers to stay resilient on farms through stressful times of the year.
Meet Teagasc staff
The conference will conclude at 8.45pm and there will be local Teagasc advisors on hand if you want to discuss any scheme or technical issues on the night.
There will also be opportunities for farmers to meet members of the Teagasc Organic team, Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme and Signpost Programme to discuss any queries they may have. The Teagasc Future Beef and DairyBeef 500 teams will also be in attendance at the conference with updates from both programmes.
As November 19 is ‘International Men’s Day’ there will also be a focus on the night on farmer health and wellbeing. There will be a number of health professionals with information stands on the night also.
Beef Edge podcast
Additionally, this year’s conference celebrates the five-year anniversary of the Teagasc 'Beef Edge' podcast, which has recently released its 250th episode and garnered over 215,000 listens. The podcast provides the latest news, information, and advice to enhance beef farm performance. You can listen to all episodes on the Teagasc website here or through platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
For more information on the Teagasc National Beef Conference, click here.