Articles
Sharp fall in 2023 dairy and tillage incomes expected, while cattle and sheep incomes to increase slightly
Sharp fall in 2023 dairy and tillage incomes expected, while cattle and sheep incomes to increase slightly A new report, by economists at Teagasc, provides an update on the forecast average margins and incomes which are likely across the agricultural sector in Ireland in 2023. Agriculture continues to face substantial input price […]
25 July 2023
Get ahead of dairy lameness risks in the coming weeks
Get ahead of dairy lameness risks in the coming weeks Tom Fallon, Teagasc Kildalton, tells us why the August-October period of the grazing season is the critical risk time for lameness in dairy herds and how to mange it. Over 90% of lameness problems in grazing herds in Ireland are mechanical in […]
24 July 2023
Maximising the effective operation of automatic washers for milking equipment
Maximising the effective operation of automatic washers for milking equipment Automatic washers were conceived and installed to reduce labour requirements and save time on farms, which they undoubtedly do. Like any machine, they require regular monitoring and calibration to ensure that they are working correctly. David Gleeson and Lorna Twomey tell us […]
24 July 2023
Alternative slurry amendments for cattle slurry storage
Alternative slurry amendments for cattle slurry storage Agriculture is responsible for 37.5% of national greenhouse gas emissions and 99% of national ammonia emissions. Manure management contributes a substantial proportion of these emissions, 11.7% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and 78% of agricultural ammonia emissions. The release of these gases pollute the atmosphere […]
24 July 2023
Growing Organics: A profitable suckler system in Co. Mayo
Growing Organics: A profitable suckler system in Co. Mayo Oliver and Anna Dixon began looking at organic farming as an option in 2010. The high costs associated with conventional farming had become prohibitive. After careful consideration, the decision was made to take the organic option. An overview of their organic farming system […]
24 July 2023
Relief milking – more than just holiday cover
Relief milking – more than just holiday cover While many dairy farmers employ someone to complete a number of milkings each week, many others have no ‘set time off’ in the normal week, and possibly only take a week’s holidays in summer and some time in winter. We have surveyed quite a […]
23 July 2023
Kay O’Sullivan is thorough in preventing animal health issues
Kay O’Sullivan is thorough in preventing animal health issues Kay O’Sullivan, Future Beef Programme Farmer, had the lowest veterinary bill in the Future Beef Programme n 2022 at €22/ha. She successfully achieved this figure by taking precautions to prevent animal health issues. One of these measures is taking faecal egg count (FEC) […]
23 July 2023
Leader of the pack(aging)
Leader of the pack(aging) An innovative approach to sustainable food packaging saw Teagasc’s Shivani Pathania receive recognition at this year’s UCC SPRINT Awards, with commercialisation for her concept next on the agenda. At UCC’s 2023 SPRINT Awards, all of the top accolades were awarded to female researchers. Among the winners was Teagasc […]
23 July 2023
Getting your Grazing Back on Track
Getting your Grazing Back on Track With thundery showers & heavy rainfall throughout the country soil moisture deficits have disappeared. Grass growth rates have increased. It is important at this stage of the grazing season to keep quality in the sward and use this opportunity to remove paddocks with poor grass quality. […]
22 July 2023
Know My Number – Make a Plan (The Signpost Advisory Programme)
Know My Number – Make a Plan (The Signpost Advisory Programme) With the recent launch of the updated Teagasc MACC, we know it is possible for farmers to meet climate action targets by 2030, however mass adoption of new technologies and practices must be implemented on farm. Teagasc Director of Knowledge Transfer, […]
22 July 2023