National Dairy Conference 2025
Pathways to Progress
The National Dairy Conference 2025 takes place on Wednesday, 26 November in Tipperary and on Thursday, 27 November in Cavan. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Pathways to Progress’.
Wednesday, 26 November | Tipperary
Talbot Hotel Clonmel, Cahir Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Eircode: E91 X0N7.
Thursday, 27 November | Cavan
Kilmore Hotel, Dublin Road, Co. Cavan. Eircode: H12 F6Y7.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Milk markets & key farm performance priorities for 2026
- Model for succession & progression in dairy farming
- Driving further progress in Irish dairy breeding
- Research updates
Conference Programme
9.45am Conference Welcome Liam Herlihy, Teagasc Chairman
9.50am Opening Keynote Address Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon (Clonmel)
Session 1 | 10:10am | Milk markets and key farm performance priorities for next year
Chair: Joe Tobin, Clonmel | Andrew McHugh, Cavan
What’s happening in international milk markets- prospects for 2026
Chris Walkland, Dairy Market Analyst
Key Performance Indicators – what lessons can we learn from real-farm data?
Joe Patton and Laurence Shalloo, Teagasc Moorepark
Using benchmarking to help drive my farm performance
Tony and Stephen Kenny, Clonmel | Oisin Gallen, Cavan
11.20am Short break with light refreshments
Session 2 | 11:40am | Models for succession and progression in dairy farming
Chair: Martina Gormley, Teagasc Dairy Specialist
Partnerships, profit sharing, leasing farming – which option is right for me?
Ruth Fennell, Teagasc Collaborative Farming specialist and Conor Hogan, Teagasc Researcher
Farmers experience of collaborative dairy farming- making it work for both parties
Michael Dunphy and John Kilvarry
Conor Wynne and Tony McCormack
1.00pm Lunch
Session 3 | 2pm | Driving further progress in Irish dairy breeding
Reviewing EBI after 25 years- a lot done and more to do?
Donagh Berry, Teagasc Moorepark Research specialising in animal genetics
Interactive audience discussion on future breeding priorities
Session 4 | 2:50pm | Bite-size research updates
Chair: Donal Mullane, Teagasc Regional Manager, Tipperary | James Donoghue, Teagasc Dairy Advisor, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan
- Practical steps to protecting water quality on dairy farms
Cathal Somers, Teagasc ASSAP Programme
- Controlling dairy production costs in 2026
Owen McPartland and Michael Freaney, Teagasc Dairy Advisers
- Update on the Pasture Profit and Clover Indexes
Sarah Walsh, Teagasc Moorepark
- Using the MOST grass prediction model for precision grazing management
Elodie Ruelle and Michael O’Donovan, Teagasc Moorepark
3:45pm Close of Conference Joe Patton, Teagasc, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer