Teagasc’s national beef conference will be a virtual event this year, following recent updated guidelines from the government relating to Covid-19.
A spokesperson for Teagasc confirmed that the event, which will take pace in December – dates still to be confirmed – will now be a virtual one. Earlier this week, it announced that its dairy conference, which takes place next week, will be virtual also.
“The other main event that we were planning, which will now be a virtual event instead of an in-person conference, is the national beef conference. The details for it are still being worked out,” the spokesperson told Agriland.
The 2020 instalment was also a virtual affair with a live, hour-long, interactive webinar taking place over two evenings in early December.
Details of the 2021 virtual event, when finalised, will be published to Teagasc’s website.
Dairy conference goes virtual
Commenting on the change to the dairy conference earlier this week, head of dairy knowledge transfer in Teagasc, Dr. Joe Patton said:
“The year, 2021, has been a mixed one for dairy farmers on the whole. Broadly, it has been positive in relation to both weather conditions and milk price.
“However, there have been plenty of stressors to contend with such as ongoing concerns around Covid-19, the increased focus on dairy farming’s position in the climate debate, and of course a sharp rise in input prices.
“Teagasc is keenly aware of the potential implications of these factors for farm practices and profitability. We hope that the conference will offer an opportunity for constructive discussion of the issues.”