The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD recently launched a new programme – DairyBeef500 – focused on dairy beef production. The event took place on the O’Hanrahan family farm near Thomastown in County Kilkenny. Peter farms in partnership with his father, Thomas, and runs Friesian and early maturing steers in a calf-to-beef system.
Dairy calf-to-beef demonstration farms have been selected throughout the country to illustrate key technologies including calf rearing, grassland management, calf health, nutrition, financial management, animal health and welfare, environmental sustainability and the appropriate use of dairy beef genetics.
The DairyBeef500 Campaign is led by Teagasc and will promote the adoption of best practice at farm level to increase the future viability and sustainability of the Irish beef sector. The DairyBeef500 Campaign is part of the Teagasc Signpost programme.
McConalogue said: “I am delighted to launch the DairyBeef500 campaign, which is in line with the actions planned under Food Vision 2030. Our beef sector is truly world class with our farmers the bedrock of the sector. It will promote greater integration of the dairy and beef sectors, to ensure that there is a market outlet for calves from the dairy herd, and to provide an attractive business option for beef farmers. We want to explore all avenues to help generate the strongest possible income for farmers.”
The DairyBeef500 demonstration farm programme is being supported by industry partners – Volac, Munster Bovine, Drummonds Ltd., Liffey Mills, MSD Animal Health and Corteva AgriScience (T.P. Whelehans).
For more information on the DairyBeef500 campaign visit www.teagasc.ie/dairybeef500