Boosting profitability in cattle farming while achieving a work life balance will be among the main issues to be addressed at the upcoming Teagasc National Beef Conference.

Beef farmers are being encouraged to attend this year’s conference on Monday, November 30, at 5:00p.m in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.

The event, with the theme 'Profitable Beef Farming, Balanced Lifestyle', will focus on practical strategies to improve beef farm profitability, maximise performance from birth to slaughter and help farmers achieve a better balance between their farming responsibilities and family life.

Attendees will hear from leading industry experts, researchers and progressive beef farmers who will share the latest research, practical advice and real-life experiences from the sector.

Teagasc director Professor Frank O’Mara will open the conference by examining the main challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

Beef

During the first session, Teagasc cattle specialist Martina Harrington will explore how suckler farmers can increase profitability by €600 per cow.

Dr. Paul Smith, from the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation centre, Grange, will also speak on how to maximise animal performance from weaning through to slaughter, drawing on the latest findings from the Beef Quest research project.

This will be followed by a panel discussion looking at opportunities to maximise output and performance throughout the beef production system.

Panelists will include Teagasc ruminant nutritionist Dr. Aisling Claffey, Dr. Marijke Beltman from University College Dublin (UCD) and Brian Jordan of Castle Forbes Estate, Co. Longford, along with Martina Harrington and Dr. Paul Smith.

Conference

The second session will explore how farmers can make beef farming work alongside family and other commitments.

Aonghusa Fahy, a suckler beef farmer from Ardrahan, Co. Galway, will share his experience of teaching full-time, while farming part-time.

Fahy will also be part of a wider discussion featuring Roscommon suckler and sheep farmer Olivia Hynes, Colin Callanan a dairy calf-to-beef farmer from Co. Galway, Seamus Nolan Teagasc Schemes Support Unit specialist and Ger Hartnett of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

Pearse Kelly, head of Drystock Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc encouraged cattle farmers to attend the event.

"The conference promises to deliver valuable insights for beef farmers looking to improve the technical and financial performance of their enterprises while making time for family, health and life outside the farm gate," he said.