IGA Beef Conference

THE Irish Grassland Association (IGA) last week announced the details of its annual Beef Farm Walk and Conference, which will take place on Tuesday 30 June.

The award-winning farm of John Kennedy near Nenagh, Co Tipperary will be visited in the morning and the conference will be held in the afternoon in the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh.
On the day, visitors to his farm will learn and see how he manages to breed all of his cows to AI, the progeny of some of the best-known high-index beef sires in the country, the extensive herd health plan that has been put in place, and how he is using paddocks, white clover, reseeding and grass budgeting to maximise his performance at grass.

Commenting on the farm, Robin Talbot of the IGA said: “This is a great opportunity for farmers to visit one of the best-run suckler beef farms in the country. Farmers will get to see top-class calves, replacement heifers and grassland management all on the one farm. The profitability of John’s bull beef system will also be of a huge interest to many farmers on the day.”

Pearse Kelly, president of the IGA, said that their conference this year is focusing very much on what is within the control of farmers themselves to lift their profits. The afternoon session will focus on using the latest technologies to increase beef farm profit.

Speakers at the conference will include Dr Mark McGee, Teagasc Grange, who will show what the latest thinking on feed efficiency can offer to improve suckler cow profit margins, and Dr Ross Evans, ICBF, who will show the differences that exist within an actual suckler herd between high and low genetic merit cows and how farmers can identify these cows within their own herd to increase their profit.

Cost for the day, including full conference proceedings, lunch and buses to and from the farm, is .40 for members of the IGA and .60 for non-members. In addition, the IGA are doing a special conference deal of .80, which includes conference registration and a year’s membership of the association.

For more information on registration, including group offers, please contact the conference secretary on 1890 843442 and you can now also book online at www.irishgrassland.com.