AgriSearch to hold 'quality forage for cost control' webinar

​AgriSearch are holding a webinar on Monday 8th May at 8pm on “Quality Forage for Cost Control” which will focus on the importance of high-quality forage in dairy, beef and sheep systems.

The difficult weather conditions this spring have caused major problems on farms right across the Province and the aim of the Webinar will be to discuss the implications for grazing and silage management and how best to deal with these challenging conditions.

The first speaker will be Dr Debbie McConnell from Lakeland Dairies. Debbie will speak on growing good yields of high quality grass for both silage and grazing. She will discuss economic return rates from nitrogen fertiliser application and steps farmers can take to optimise those returns.

The second speaker will be independent consultant Jason McMinn who will discuss the importance of producing and utilising high quality forage for efficient performance and financial returns.

These talks will be followed by a panel discussion with three leading ruminant dairy, beef and sheep farmers facilitated by Dr Sinclair Mayne.

Gary Thompson is a dairy farmer from Ballymoney. Gary is Chair of the AgriSearch Dairy Committee and is currently completing a Nuffield Scholarship on “Breaking dairy farming’s addiction to inorganic fertiliser: The road to rehabilitation”. Sam Chesney is a well-known beef & sheep farmer from Kircubbin and a Trustee of AgriSearch. James Henderson is a beef and sheep farmer from Kilkeel and is involved in AgriSearch’s GrassCheck and Beacon Farm networks.

AgriSearch Chair Professor Gerry Boyle said,

“Cost control was never more critical for ruminant livestock farmers. Take dairying as an example, the price ration concentrate to milk is worsening, with a kilo on concentrate on most dairy farms now above the price received for a litre of milk. While it is expected that the price of purchased feed will fall slightly in the coming weeks it is likely to remain at a level well above that of recent years. This and other inflationary pressures have the potential to significantly impact on farmers bottom lines. It is therefore vital that farmers make the best possible use of grazed and conserved grass during the 2023 grass growing season. The quantity and quality of silage going into clamps this summer will have a major impact on farmers’ profit margins for the coming winter.”

To register for the webinar visit the AgriSearch website.