The eight beef farmers that are ABP Food Group’s Monitor Farms have been announced. These farmers are finishing cattle in a variety of systems and are based across the country on a range of different land types.
These eight farms are just some of the many ABP suppliers involved in the processor’s sustainability initiative, the ‘Advantage Beef Programme’.
Speaking to Agriland, ABP’s agri-sustainability manager, Stephen Connolly explained why these eight farmers were selected as monitor farms and what they hope to achieve.
He said: “In 2022, as part of the launch of the Advantage Beef Programme, ABP identified a cohort of eight monitor farms across the country.
“The range of different systems on these eight monitor farms aim to capture the many different beef-farming systems on the farms that supply cattle to ABP.”
The systems on the monitor farms include:
- Suckler beef;
- Dairy calf to beef,
- Dairy farmers finishing their own cattle.
He continued: “It is important to understand that every farm is different and has its own challenges, such as land type, location, and labour.
“The aim of the monitor farms is to showcase on a range of typical family farms, what can be done to improve all aspects of farm sustainability in a way that works for both the farmer and the environment.”
The key focus areas for improving sustainability on the monitor farms are:
- Soil health;
- Animal breeding;
- Nutrition;
- Grassland management.
“As a company, we know there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to beef production.
“Every farm is different therefore farmers must have a system that best suits their land type, housing facilities, work and family commitments, therefore these monitor farms will really give a great insight into what is practical to implement on commercial family farm,” Connolly added.
The eight monitor farms and their relevant beef systems are as follows:
- Richard and Paddy Daly, Thurles, Co. Tipperary (dairy calf to beef);
- Eoin and Padraig Moran, Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary (suckler beef);
- Willie Kelly, Skreen, Co. Sligo (suckler beef);
- Pat Carthy, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo (suckler beef);
- John Twohig, Bandon, Co. Cork (dairy calf to beef);
- Jimmy Madigan, Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny (suckler beef);
- Brian Doran, Carnew, Co. Wicklow (suckler beef and dairy calf to beef);
- Shane and John Galvin, Croom, Co. Limerick (dairy calf to beef).
Some of these farmers have already been profiled on Agriland and the remaining farms will be profiled in the coming months. Updates from these farms will also feature in Agriland stories on a regular basis.
ABP’s Advantage Beef Programme farm liaison team leader Amie Coonan added: “We are delighted to be working with our monitor farms.
“Since 2022, the farming families involved, and the Advantage team have done excellent work to date, and we hope this next step in the programme will bring our learnings on these farms to the wider ABP supplier network.
“From our work to date on these monitor farms and the ABP Demo Farm, it is very clear, there is many farming practices that can be adopted on farm such as animal genetics and animal nutrition that can improve farm sustainability.”
Coonan reminded farmers that “the Advantage farm liaison team are on hand to offer advice and support to farmers relating to all aspects of sustainability.”