The embracing of new technologies represents the greatest opportunity that Irish agriculture can avail of, as it looks to the future.
And nowhere can these developments be seen impacting more forcefully than within the dairy sector, where a combination of the industry’s enormous growth potential must be tempered with the reality of getting the job done in the most efficient way possible.
Yes, we have the land; but matching this resource with that of driving ultimate levels of production from an expanded dairy herd and the farmers managing them will require a response that is, very much, technology-driven.
In response to this, we are already seeing a significant increase in the adoption of robotic milking systems on Irish farms.
The same can also be said where rotary platforms are concerned. Meanwhile, the growing recognition of the role which the likes of in-parlour feeding, out-of-parlour feeding and automated heat detection systems can play on Irish farms continues apace.
Each farm is different
But each farm is different. Expansion of cow numbers may not be the way forward for every business. But driving the efficiency of the milking process must be an objective for every producer planning for a sustainable future in dairy farming.
This may well involve an investment in IT-based systems that will help drive the use of automated, in-parlour feeding systems.
There is a host of new milking technologies which Irish dairy farmers can avail of, any combination of which will deliver the bespoke solution required for every business.
Working with farmers
For its part, Bank of Ireland wants to work with its farmer customers so as to ensure that an investment in new technology can become a feasible reality.
Bank of Ireland fully recognises the role in which new technology can play within the Irish dairy sector. It is an industry primed for sustained growth over the coming years. These opportunities have already been recognised by many hundreds of Irish milk producers.
Given Bank of Ireland’s history in agriculture, it represents a unique development resource for the industry as a whole.
This can be accessed by contacting the Direct Team, the members of which will assess the merits of each business plan, or proposal submitted to them. Talk to Bank of Ireland today
