ABP Food Group’s new sustainability scheme, the Advantage Beef Programme, will host a suckler-beef farm walk in Co. Cavan this Wednesday (October 26).
The event will take place near Arvagh, on the farm of Wilson Kells.
Wilson is a member of ABP’s Advantage Beef Programme. This processor-led initiative is a sustainability scheme for beef farmers which rewards eligible cattle with a 20c/kg sustainability bonus.
Wilson is running a spring and autumn-calving suckler herd just outside Arvagh with the help of his wife, Pearl, and son, Nigel. Bulls are finished at under-16-months of age on the farm and heifers are finished at under-24-months of age.
The soil type on the farm is heavy, so running the herd of 60 commercial suckler cows on the farm requires careful management.
Both a Charolais stockbull and artificial insemination (AI) sires are used on the farm. There are a range of cattle breeds on the farm including Charolais, Simmental, Limousin, Aberdeen Angus and Hereford.
A number of topics will be discussed on the day, including:
- Animal health: Winter dosing and vaccination;
- Animal nutrition: Importance of silage quality, winter diets for beef cattle and suckler cows and concentrate quality;
- New Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES): An overview of the scheme requirements;
- ABP Demo Farm: Overview of the Advantage Beef Programme and trial farm, the latest updates and what the farm aims to achieve.
The farm walk will take place from 11:00a.m to 1:00p.m and farmers who are interested in attending should get in contact with ABP.