May 29, 2009

Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority of Ireland, has established a new suckler beef research demonstration farm at its Beef Research Centre in Grange, County Meath.

The unit is a 'stand-alone' 120 cow spring-calving suckler unit, and is being set up to demonstrate the most innovative technologies in beef production to improve productivity and profit levels on Irish farms. This is a new initiative, the main aim of which is to transfer knowledge out onto a greater number of beef farms.

The new initiatives being launched are Teagasc's response to the changing needs of Irish farmers. As part of its change programme, Teagasc has established an animal production and grassland research programme which brings together the organisation's activities from a number of centres across a range of ruminant enterprises to lever the knowledge-base within the organisation.

Dr Mark McGee, Project Leader, said the aim of the project is to establish a profitable suckler herd finishing beef animals and which will demonstrate how the results of research can be put into practice. He said the unit will demonstrate how to use grassland and animal production technologies in efficient and profitable beef systems, and it will be used as a benchmark for suckler beef production.

The unit will be an important part of the new drive in Teagasc to improve the transfer of technology out onto farms from research, he added.

The new herd consists of four cow breed combinations. The continental cross cows will have a suckler beef value (SBV) which represents the top 5-10 percentof the national beef cow herd.

According to Dr William Minchin, Research Manager of the new unit, the results from this new herd will be applicable to a wide farmer audience.

A new dedicated website for the Grange Beef Research Centre has also being launched. The new website will provide weekly updates online from the new suckler demonstration research farm and from other ongoing research projects.