Dr. Paul Crosson, beef enterprise leader at Teagasc Grange, believes that the implementation of new technologies will help to significantly improve the productivity of Irish suckler farms over the coming years.
He cites the likes of greater use of artificial insemination (AI), adoption of new grassland technology and the availability of improved animal performance data in this regard.
Speaking to Agriland, Crosson said: “We are about half way through the current suckler systems research experiment at Grange.
“As we look to the future, we will look at the opportunities these new technologies will provide to the suckler sector.”
Crosson recognises that the availability of new technologies could particularly help part-time suckler farmers to significantly improve their breeding and grassland management.
Virtual fencing technology
Moreover, Crosson does not dispute the potential of technology like virtual fencing to allow farmers remotely move their stock on to new pasture, as and when required.
“Labour availability remains a major challenge on many farms within the suckler sector,” he said.
“Every aspect of agriculture is now data driven and suckler production is no different in this regard. A case in point is that of choosing the right cow that best meets an individual farmer’s requirement.
“If we look at the evolution of suckler cow breeding for example, the cross-bred beef animal from the dairy herd was a very suitable cow type in this regard.
“However, the change in dairy genetics within the milk industry led suckler herdowners to look at breeding cows with a higher beef merit,” he continued.
“Of course we now have beef breeding indices which allow suckler herdowners to make very accurate decisions when it comes to breeding the suckler cows they want.
“This approach also works when it comes to assessing which are the best beef merit bulls to use on their cows to produce animals for slaughter.”
Future for suckler herd
The Teagasc representative also points to a future that will see the term ‘sustainable intensification’ gain real impetus on suckler beef farms.
“Improved animal health, improved breeding from the point of view of beef traits and fertility, and improved grassland management are all components of lowering the carbon footprint of a suckler farm,” he stressed.
“There is a real opportunity here to produce ‘win-win’ scenarios; higher profitability per farm while making a positive contribution to meeting our environmental obligations.
“There is no question that it’s a challenge but we have a resilient industry that has shown repeatedly an ability to evolve to changing circumstances.”
Benefits of suckler farms
In this regard, farming sucklers produces more than just beef for consumers and the wider public.
“Suckler farms are home to many of our most valuable habitats and have very low nutrient surpluses,” Crosson explained.
“This is a direct consequence of the low production intensities followed on these farms.
“Given their low input nature, we can be confident that suckler farms are compatible with low nutrient losses to water-courses in our rural areas.
“On average, nitrogen [N] application rates are below 50kg/ha on these farms. And, while there are challenges for the entire agricultural sector in terms of greenhouse gas emissions [GHG], there is a large body of research into issues such as the level of carbon in our soils and biomass, and also how to we measure and reduce methane emissions.”
Crosson explained that this has enormous implications for the suckler sector as a whole.
“We must always continually remind ourselves and the wider public that the primary objective of agriculture in general and specifically in this case of suckler systems, is to produce high quality food for the consumer,” he said.
“In general, I think there will be as many opportunities as obstacles for the suckler herd in the coming years.”