Irish-led project aims to transform dairy-beef farming
Teagasc is to play a leading role in a major European drive to help family farms get more from grass-fed dairy-beef.
The national body is spearheading a new "Better-Calf" project, which aims to support family farms by delivering practical tools to improve farm performance, animal welfare, and sustainability.
The project will see dairy-beef research farm studies carried out in Ireland, France, and Belgium with a focus on "maximising access to pasture and promoting animal welfare".
A network of 40 commercial farms across Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland will also be created as part of the project.
According to Teagasc, dairy-beef accounts for over 60% of all cattle finished in Ireland and it has has developed detailed blueprints to support finishing these animals "in efficient and profitable production".
According to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, the project underlines the government's strategy to promote "greater integration of dairy and beef sectors and develop and support dairy beef systems".
"The success of the Dairy Calf to Beef Action Plan, developed by my department, Teagasc, Bord Bia, Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), and Animal Health Ireland (AHI) shows the strength of collaborative efforts in implementing policy on the ground.
"The fact that Teagasc is leading on this key European project is recognition of our expertise in grass-fed dairy beef systems.
"This project also aligns with the core principles of the new EU Livestock Strategy which we will be discussing under the Irish Presidency.
"By championing grass-based production, Ireland along with our EU partners are demonstrating how livestock farming can deliver on high climate and welfare ambitions while actively safeguarding the economic future of our family farms," Minister Heydon said.
Dairy-beef systems
Dr. Paul Crosson, Beef Enterprise leader at Teagasc Grange and also lead applicant on the Better-Calf project has highlighted the importance of the research project.
"In Ireland we view grass-based beef cattle production as the norm; in fact, this is quite unusual with most cattle production systems globally involving long indoor feeding periods.
"We aim to refine these systems and build farmer networks to ensure rapid implementation on beef farms in Ireland and across north-west Europe," Dr. Crosson said.
The Better-Calf project is funded by Interreg North-West Europe.
