Agricultural Catchments Programme to give valuable expansion advice

FARMERS will gain invaluable insights into optimum farming methods for output expansion with the roll-out of the findings of the four-year Agricultural Catchments Programme.

The programme, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and run by Teagasc, is implemented by a team of researchers, advisers and technicians working closely with farmers.

The programme advisers provide an intensive advisory and planning service to farmers in the catchments to improve the profitability of the farms and help the farmers to implement the Good Agricultural Practice measures contained in the National Action Programme.

On a visit to the Timoleague Agricultural Catchment area in Co Cork yesterday, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said that the programme’s findings are to be unveiled at the three-day Catchment Science 2011 conference, at the Mansion House in Dublin from September 14 to 16.

The Timoleague catchment is one of six agricultural catchments established under the programme, varying in area from 600 ha to 2,500 ha and representing the main agricultural landscapes, soil types and farming enterprises in the country.

The Timoleague catchment is 85% grassland and dairying is the predominant land use, with one of the highest stocking rates in the country.

Mr Coveney said: “The new scientific knowledge being generated by the programme, using high-tech equipment and survey data, will be critical to the sustainable expansion of Irish milk and meat production from grass and therefore is critical to achieving the ambitious growth targets of Food Harvest 2020 and farmers such as those farming in Timoleague will have a leading role in achieving those targets.”

Mr Coveney will make the opening address at the conference, which will be jointly hosted by Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Britain.

The conference will feature the findings of the work carried out during the past four years by the Agricultural Catchments Programme.

This Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and operated by Teagasc, who are working closely with more than 300 farmers who are voluntarily participating in the programme nationally.

Teagasc director, Professor Gerry Boyle, said: “Food Harvest 2020 has set targets for a 50% increase in milk production and a 40% increase in the value of beef production.

“This growth must be achieved in an environmentally sustainable way and the Agricultural Catchments Programme will provide the knowledge that is needed to ensure this can be achieved,” said Prof Boyle.

Also speaking at the launch was Ger Shortle, manager of the Agricultural Catchments Programme.