Teagasc appoints new cattle specialist for the south-west
While beef farming in Ireland has its challenges, the new cattle specialist said that "emphasising the importance of grassland management along with animal breeding/husbandry can aid farmers to enhance environmental sustainability".
Teagasc has appointed a new cattle specialist based in Moorepark to cover the south-west of the country.
Niall Kerins, who comes from a drystock farming background in Co Kerry, graduated from Cork Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
He went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Land Management in Waterford Institute of Technology.
He later went on and completed a Masters in Agricultural Extension and Innovation with University College Dublin/Skillnet.
His master’s degree involved a study into the current use of agricultural media to transfer knowledge and implement change on farms.
He is currently a Teagasc business and technology drystock advisor in the Kerry/Limerick advisory region.
He previously worked as a drystock advisor based in Kilrush in Co Clare and as a dairy advisor in Listowel in Co Kerry.
He has also worked for the National Co-op Farm Relief Services as a GLAS and TAMS planner for farmers.
Speaking this week, Mr Kerins said: "This role gives me a great opportunity to bring technical messages to cattle farmers and I’m looking forward to working with farmers, advisors, and the wider agricultural industry.
"While I acknowledge beef farming in Ireland has its challenges, emphasising the importance of grassland management along with animal breeding/husbandry can aid farmers to enhance the environmental sustainability of their enterprises while also being profitable.
"I look forward to working with farmers and their advisors on the Teagasc Future Beef programme and the Dairy Beef500 programme where we continue to build resilient beef farming systems for the future."
