Padraig Fogarty

Project Title: An examination of why dairy farmers who were trained in grass measuring during their role as monitor farmers discontinued the use of the technology.

Project Description:
As part of three different Joint Programmes with Teagasc/Dairygold, Teagasc/Kerry Co-op and Teagasc/ Glanbia over a fifteen year period, 200 dairy farmers were trained to grass measure and carried out the technology for at least three years as part of their role as monitor farmers. Out of these 200 farmers, 132 farmers have discontinued the use of the technology. The objectives of this study are to:

• To investigate why farmers trained to grass measure, discontinued the use of the technology
• To compare these reasons with farmers who continued to use the technology
• To identify KT skills/supports to improve the uptake of the grass measuring technology using feedback from farmers

Semi structured interviews (SSIs) will be conducted with farmers who discontinued and continued with the use of grass measuring. Following the SSIs, farmers will be selected to participate in a focus group to further tease out the reasons for the discontinuation of the technology, and identify KT skills/supports that can improve the uptake of the technology in the future. The adoption of grass measuring by all farmers is critical in Teagasc meeting its target of increasing grassland utilisation on Irish livestock farms from 7.5 tonnes of grass dry matter per hectare to 10 tonnes of grass dry matter per hectare by 2020.

Teagasc Supervisor: Mr John Maher

UCD Supervisor: Dr Karina Pierce

Location: Teagasc Advisory Office, Kilmallock, Co Limerick

Download: Padraig Fogarty Presentation (Powerpoint)