Teagasc have announced the details of their ‘Virtual Beef Week’, which will take place from Monday, July 6th, to Friday, July 10th.
The aim of the new initiative is to demonstrate best practice and communicate the latest research relevant to beef farmers.
The theme for the event is ‘Building a Sustainable Irish Beef Sector’, which will involve two streamed broadcasts – BeefTalk at 12 pm and Live@Grange at 7 pm each day throughout the week.
The live streams will be accompanied by a continuous broadcast of content through social media platforms.
The initiative was established to replace the major Teagasc Beef 2020 Open Day in light of the current coronavirus situation. The event was due to take place at the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre at Grange, Co. Meath.
Monday
Dr Paul Crosson, Teagasc Beef Enterprise Leader, explained: “On Monday, the 6th of July, we will be focussing on suckler beef production, covering the performance and the genetics of the Derrypatrick suckler herd, animal breeding and parasitology.”
Tuesday
“On Tuesday we switch our attention to dairy-calf-to-beef, outlining what has been happening with the new research experiment on this topic in Grange and also discussing the animal health issues associated with rearing calves.”
Wednesday
Head of Drystock Knowledge Transfer, Pearse Kelly, said that Wednesday (July 8th) will be focused on environmental sustainability and what steps farmers can take to reduce the environmental footprint of their cattle enterprises.
The latest Teagasc research on reducing greenhouse gases, and improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity and protecting our soils, will be covered.
Thursday
Thursday’s focus will be on grassland and nutrition for beef production, showcasing how to grow and utilise more grass in a beef production system.
They will demonstrate how commercial farms are practising good grazing management and how this is improving animal performance and ultimately the financial performance of their beef enterprise.
Friday
On the final day of the event, industry leaders and experts will come together for an online forum to discuss possible solutions to address the economic, environmental and social challenges facing the sector.
Professor Pat Dillon, Head of the Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Programme, spoke about the challenges facing cattle producers in Ireland.
“We are conscious of the challenges facing beef producers in Ireland, be they in suckler or calf-to-beef businesses. During the Teagasc Virtual Beef Week we will outline the latest production blueprints from Teagasc for the sector.”
Further information
For more information on the Virtual Beef Week, click here.
