Solutions to sustainability challenges facing the Irish beef sector will be addressed by a panel of Irish and European speakers at the third annual BovINE (Beef Innovation Network Europe) national meeting tonight (Tuesday, October 25).
The online meeting, which starts at 8:00p.m, is open to beef farmers, advisors, researchers and other stakeholders involved in the Irish beef industry to contribute to discussions.
BovINE is an EU-funded beef network aimed at addressing sustainability challenges in the beef sector. It is managed in Ireland by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Teagasc.
Pearse Kelly, Teagasc’s head of drystock knowledge transfer, will deliver a keynote speech at the meeting, in which he will address the importance of innovation on beef farms.
“Constant improvements in production and technical efficiency along with the adoption of new technologies can make a real positive difference on beef farms across all aspects of sustainability,” Kelly said.
The meeting will also be addressed by Clive Bright, an organic beef farmer from Ballymote, Co. Sligo. He will give an overview of his 100% grass-fed beef production system.
Bright’s farm does not use imported feeds or fertilisers, though it remains profitable. He will explain how he manages his suckler beef farm and how he has integrated agro-forestry as part of his system.
Italian brothers Alessandro and Paolo Vigna, who buy Irish weanlings, will speak on their experience of finishing Irish-born cattle in Italy.
The Vigna family group is one of the largest beef finishers in Italy, rearing and finishing over 20,000 cattle annually on four farms.
Alessandro and Paolo Vigna will describe the evolution of their business and will explain how a rigid animal health and welfare strategy enabled them to become more sustainable.
Tonight’s BovINE meeting will also hear from Helen Fuchey from the French Livestock Institute, who will showcase a new labelling innovation aimed at offering consumers transparency when purchasing beef products, with the aim of delivering fairer prices to farmers.
Attendees will be presented with further information on the BovINE projects “online repository” called the BovINE Knowledge Hub.