The ABP Food Group Advantage Beef Programme team is set to host its final calf-rearing information evening in Co. Limerick.
The event will take place this evening (Wednesday, January 18) at Longcourt House Hotel in Newcastle West (Eircode: V42 TD72). Proceedings will get underway at 7:30p.m.
Speaking to Agriland ahead of the final event, ABP’s Advantage programme farm liaison team leader, Amie Coonan said: “We aim to highlight the importance of calf health, calf nutrition and the genetics of dairy calf-to-beef animals.”
Calf-rearing event speakers
Bord Bia’s senior manager of the meat and livestock team, Joe Burke, will be in attendance on the night to deliver a presentation on future beef markets and the growing importance of sustainability within those future markets.
The Advantage Beef Programme farm liaison staff will be on hand before and after the event to show farmers how to find sire data on the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) website when selecting superior sires or calves with better beef genetics.
Coonan continued: “I will cover calf health and nutrition from birth to weaning and ABP agri-sustainability manager, Stephen Connolly, will deliver a presentation on the importance of genetics when selecting calves for rearing.
“Connolly will explain the findings of research from the ABP Demo Farm on the cattle’s performance and the importance of buying calves from a good source farm.
“We hope to keep this event interactive with tutorials, videos, as well as question and answer sessions throughout, similar to the previous events.”
This event is open to both ABP Advantage Beef Programme members and non-members, as well as both dairy and beef farmers.
Also in attendance on the night will be representatives from a number of artificial insemination companies which will be on hand to offer advice and guidance to farmers in attendance.