The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is set to host a series of informative farm walks aimed at promoting ‘Efficient and Sustainable Milk Production’ for local dairy farmers in Northern Ireland.
The first two farm walks were recently held on the farms of Mark Patterson in Derry and James Murphy in Fermanagh. Both farmers shared insights into their dairy operations, emphasizing the importance of good quality forage production and key measures to improve environmental and financial performance on the farm.
On Murphy’s farm, which consists of 110 autumn calving dairy cows, he highlighted the significance of using high-quality silage and maintaining a closed herd. The presentation by carbon technologist Lauren Curry shed light on reducing a farm’s carbon footprint through various measures such as age of first calving, balanced use of fertilizers, and proper breeding practices.
Local CAFRE dairy advisers were on hand to facilitate discussions and provide guidance to the attending dairy farmers. The interactive farm walks aim to equip farmers with valuable knowledge on sustainability and environmental stewardship, encouraging them to implement practices that benefit both their farms and the local environment.
Future farm walks are scheduled to take place in Armagh and Down counties, with all dairy farmers encouraged to participate and learn about the strategies to enhance efficiency and sustainability in milk production.
Overall, the farm walks organized by CAFRE are instrumental in promoting best practices among dairy farmers, ensuring a positive impact on the environment and the financial performance of their operations.
