Professionalised breeding, grass management and novel farm succession arrangements make for more cost-effective as well as sustainable farming in Ireland. The partners of AgriSpin are invited to witness how three Irish farmers have innovated in order to improve their competitiveness.
Economic Breeding Index (EBI)
Using an Economic Breeding Index (EBI) is a new way for farmers to select breeding stock. Previously, farmers used breeding information based solely on one animal trait. EBI, on the other hand, gives a single € rating for bulls and cows based on seven sub components: 1. Milk production, 2. Fertility, 3. Calving performance, 4. Beef carcass, 5. Cow maintenance, 6. Cow Management, 7. Health. In other words, EBI converts the seven traits to a € value of extra profi per cow, per lactation.
For all Irish herds, EBI was € 62 per heifer born in 2000, a number which had increased to € 160 in 2016. In 2016, Larry, the demonstration farmer, has a herd EBI of € 159 and the 2016-born heifers average € 221.
Supporting Grassland Management through the Greenacres Joint Programme
Grass is the cheapest and most sustainable form of feed in Ireland when properly managed. The challenge is to be able to manage grass and keep quality grass in front of grazing livestock at all times, which in turn helps reduce production costs.
The Greenacres Joint Programme takes a holistic approach to building the farmers technical and financial capacity with particular emphasis on grassland management, performance per livestock unit and herd health.
The demonstration farm is situated in Ballyfin in Co. Laois. John and his wife Catherine along with sons Matthew, John Clyde and daughter Mary farm 41 ha of grass and 48 ha of tillage. They slaughter 100 Angus or Hereford heifers each year. John has become very professional at rearing calves as he bought 130 calves last spring and has 120 yearlings at grass.
Registered Farm Partnership (RFP) agreements
The RFP allows new novel farming arrangements to be undertaken within the farm family and also between farm families. The RFP can be an initial step towards, but also an integral part of, a Farm Succession Plan.
In Ireland, the next generation of farmers often does not have any official role in the management of the farm until total land transfer occurs. The RFP documentation outlines the roles and responsibilities of each member of the farm partnership, something that was not possible in the past. The RFP also allows a young person to be taken into the business at a young age without the need for a full land transfer.
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