Open day to provide guidelines on challenges facing dairy farmers

DAIRY farmers will be provided with clear guidelines at Moorepark ‘09 tomorrow on how to cope with the difficulties their sector is facing.

The open day at the Fermoy, Co Cork, centre will also highlight a new direction for profitable milk production in a volatile milk price environment.

“New Thinking for Challenging Times,” is the theme for the open day, which will reflect the challenges and opportunities facing dairy farmers and their industry.

Results from the comprehensive dairy research programme will be part of the programme, while Teagasc research and advisory staff will be on hand to discuss solutions.

Head of the Teagasc Dairy Production Research Centre, Moorepark, Dr Pat Dillon said the 2009 milk production season is putting severe financial pressure on dairy farmers through a combination of low milk prices and poor weather conditions.

“Despite the current difficulties the financial outlook for dairying in the medium term is positive and there is an urgent requirement for dairy farmers to adopt some key technologies to capitalise on this potential,” he said.

Over the past 50 years Teagasc Moorepark has established itself as a world leading dairy research centre in the development of grass-based systems of milk production.

It is recognised that the centre has made an invaluable contribution to the development of the dairy industry at all levels.

Dr Dillon said the future competitiveness of the industry will depend on increases in productivity of highly efficient, grass-based systems of milk production.

Key technologies will need to advance such as grassland management, animal breeding and reproduction, low-cost labour-efficient farm infrastructure, nutrient use efficiencies and the production of high-quality milk.

“With reduced market support for dairy products, milk price volatility will be a key component in the future.

“The challenges of milk price volatility place an even greater requirement on the industry to develop and adopt new technology to increase efficiency,” said Dr Dillon.

Admission to the event and parking are free.