The impact of rising costs on Irish pig producers and how to combat them will be one of the key themes at this year’s Teagasc Pig Conference which will take place in Cavan tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18 and Tipperary on Wednesday, October 19.
According to Teagasc the last 14 months have been “the worst in living memory” for some pig producers and the conference will provide an opportunity for producers to raise key issues with other farmers and key members of the industry and Teagasc.
Ciarán Carroll, head of knowledge transfer, pig development department, Teagasc, said
“The face-to-face conference, the first since before Covid-19, is a welcome return to the pig farmer calendar. Teagasc pig development department and guest speakers will present an array of topics, from the technical to the financial, relating to current issues within the pig industry.”
Teagasc said one of the key factors in the “financial crisis” that has had a major impact on many pig producers over the last 14 months has been high grain prices.
The conference will examine what has been learned overall from the downturn, and what can be done to future proof businesses from further financial volatility and attendees will get key insights on these from the Teagasc pig development department.
Philip Lynch and James Nolan, from IAWS will also discuss the grain and feed ingredients outlook while Louise Clarke, pig development officer with Tegasc will highlight what energy options may be open to producers.
A key element of the 2022 conference will be a focus on what low costs but high impact best practices could be implemented by farmers to help maintain and support improved performance on their farms.
Both Carroll and Emer McCrum, agriculture development officer, from Teagasc, will discuss in depth how farmers could look to adopt these best practices.
Meanwhile this year’s international guest speaker will be Jens Sorensen from Danvet.
Sorensen is a Danish consultant veterinarian on the Teagasc Lean International Project.
He is currently working with two Irish pig farms on a project which aims to reduce antibiotic use on farms.
Sorensen will also share specific research at the conference this week on how Danish farmers have worked through the financial crisis over the past 12-18 months, and also look at the main challenges that lie ahead for the pig sector.
The conference, which will be held in two locations this year – the Kilmore Hotel, Cavan, Tuesday, October 18 and in the Horse & Jockey Hotel, Tipperary, Wednesday, October 19 – will also include presentations and discussions on key issues such as sustainable pigmeat production and hygiene issues.
Carroll said; “We encourage all those involved in the sector to attend this conference and for the opportunity to meet fellow producers and get the latest information that Teagasc pig development department have put together.”