National hill sheep conference planned for Westport

Attendees will hear from advisors and researchers, as well as participate in a panel discussion on February 18

Attendees of the conference will hear from Teagasc sheep researchers, ASSAP advisors and contribute to an interactive panel.

The National Hill Sheep Conference will take place on February 18 at the Westport Woods Hotel in Westport, Co Mayo.

This year, the Teagasc conference will feature a mix of conference papers and panel discussions. The conference will start at 7 pm and is free for anyone interested in attending.

Teagasc Sheep researcher, Dr Frank Campion, will be the first to present the latest findings from the Teagasc Hill Sheep Research Programme, including the results of the trials of finishing both organic and conventional hill lambs. 

These studies will highlight the challenges and opportunities that are available to hill farmers to best market their lambs.

Also highlighted through a paper presentation is the water quality of rivers and streams in the Irish Uplands. Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) advisor, Dr Shaun Roarty, will present a paper outlining the work that Teagasc ASSAP is doing on maintaining and improving the quality of water in upland areas.

Dr Roarty will highlight important steps that farmers can take to ensure that the quality of watercourses remains high.

Commenting on this year’s conference, Dr Roarty said: “Upland farmers can play a critical role in the reinstatement and management of good and high-status upland waterbodies, which provide essential ecosystem services such as high-quality water supply, carbon sequestration, flood attenuation, and biodiversity support.

"While reaffirming the value of these resources, our upland waterbodies face unique and complex challenges, particularly in relation to hydromorphology and pesticide occurrences.” 

Closing out the conference, there will be a panel discussion chaired by Darren Carty of the Irish Farmers Journal. The panel will host key industry representatives who will discuss the opportunities that lie ahead for marketing hill lamb.

This aims to be an interactive discussion where members of the audience will be able to ask questions and discuss strategies for marketing hill lambs with the ultimate aim of improving margins.

The members of the panel discussion are:

• Seamus McMenamin, sector manager for Sheep Meat and Livestock at Bord Bia. 
• James Smyth, general manager, Irish Country Meats. 
• Brendan Joyce, hill sheep farmer, Galway. 
• Teresa Gibsey, Ballinrobe Mart manager.

Speaking about this year's conference, head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer Programme with Teagasc, Michael Gottstein, said: “This year’s conference provides an exciting opportunity for farmers and industry stakeholders to hear about the latest research and marketing opportunities and challenges facing the hill sheep sector.”