The ‘Shaping the Future of Dairy – agtech solutions for dairy production and climate’ conference took place this week (Wednesday, Dec 11) at the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at Lyons Estate.
At the event – which was sponsored by MSD Animal Health, ifac and Irish Farmers Monthly – global thought leaders and industry experts gathered to discuss the impact of new technologies, European trends and the changing climate on the Irish dairy sector.
Keynote speaker, global vice-president, ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) at Alltech, Tara McCarthy addressed the climate debate and took a global view of how farming is perceived across the world and a farmer’s social license to produce.
“Global populations are growing and demand for food is increasing. We believe that agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet,” she said.
Director of Corporate Affairs, Ornua, Anne Randles, commented: “EU and Irish dairy farmers are facing similar social, economic and environmental challenges in maintaining and growing milk output over the medium- to long-term.
“Innovation, including agtech adoption in its many guises, will be crucial to unlocking opportunities and ensuring the long term viability of the sector.”
Editor of Farmers Weekly, Andrew Meredith, who also spoke at the event, said: “The pace of change within agriculture at a political and technical level is extremely rapid at the moment, and food producers in the UK and Ireland are under pressure to continually do more with less.
“Conferences like this are not only vital for knowledge sharing to cope with this but a well-needed boost to morale and I look forward to building closer links with friends in Ireland off the back of this.”
Other speakers at the event included: Conor Mulvihill, director of Dairy Industry Ireland (DII); Damien McLoughlin, professor of marketing, University College Dublin (UCD); David Leydon, head of Food and Agribusiness, and Karol Kissane, head of Public Sector Services and Economics, ifac; Cara Sheridan, ruminant veterinary integration manager, MSD Animal Health; Karina Pierce, professor of Dairy Production, UCD; and Mark Keller, interim CEO, National Dairy Council (NDC).
The conference closed with a special presentation to Michael Berkery, Chair of the FBD Trust, to acknowledge his 50 years at the heart of Irish farm politics.
50th celebration after dairy conference
The conference was also an opportunity to celebrate 50 years of Irish Farmers Monthly magazine; founded in 1974 and published by IFP Media.
In its five decades of publication ‘The Monthly’ has featured leading Irish and international writers and contributors including Mike Wilson, Matt Ryan, Margaret Donnelly, Bernie Commins, Olin Greenan, Noel Dunne, and Matt O’Keeffe, its current editor and president of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists in Ireland.
Publisher of IFP Media, David Markey, said: “This is an important day for my family. My wife, Mai, and I purchased Irish Farmers Monthly in 1975, a year after it was first published.
“Many people… have played significant roles in the success of the publication and I thank them greatly for their support over the years.”