Benefits of collaborative farming shown

Teagasc has completed a series of meetings outlining the benefits for farmers of entering into formal collaborative farming arrangements.

The main collaborative arrangements being encouraged in Ireland are milk production partnerships, share farming, and contract rearing of replacement heifer- rearing offers a steady monthly cash flow. That also reducing the business risks associated with drystock production, say Teagasc advisers.

It is also attractive to dairy farmers, because it releases land for milk production, and frees up labour to specialise more on dairying.