DAERA providing dairy farmers a research journey to England

The Division of Agriculture, Atmosphere and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is providing Northern Irish dairy farmers the chance to journey to England to find out about giant dairy herd administration.

Common herd measurement has been steadily rising in Northern Eire, the division mentioned, with a lot of models now milking in extra of 200 cows.

This enhance has resulted in house owners and managers being confronted with new challenges, which this research journey is aiming to teach and supply recommendation on.

The group will depart from Belfast Worldwide Airport on the morning of Monday, March 6, and return on the night of Tuesday, March 7.

The tour can be led by dairy advisors from DAERA’s School of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

It is going to embody visits to 2 large-scale dairy farms in Yorkshire. Each these companies are milking in extra of 650 cows with annual manufacturing in extra of 11,000L milk bought/cow/12 months.

Every enterprise employs giant numbers of employees, lots of whom are part-time and have little earlier farming expertise. Each have very detailed protocols for every exercise on the farm.

The areas that can be studied in additional element on the journey embody:

• Managing giant herds to attain optimum efficiency;
• Recruiting, coaching and managing employees;
• Creating and implementing clear work protocols.

The applying course of

Purposes are invited from one member or worker of a farm enterprise that milked 200 cows/12 months in 2020/21 or 2021/22, is over 18 years outdated on the appliance time limit and never in full-time schooling.

Choice can be given to candidates who full bodily and monetary benchmarking of their dairy enterprise.

To extend the advantages arising from the research tour, all candidates should determine a gaggle of farmers to share their findings with upon their return. 16 locations can be found and these can be allotted on a aggressive foundation, the division mentioned.

The Farm Innovation Go to Scheme, which is a part of the Northern Eire Rural Improvement Programme and half funded by the EU, will cowl the prices related to establishing the go to, lodging, journey exterior of Northern Eire and meals when in Nice Britain.

Members can be anticipated to satisfy any extra prices, together with farm aid and journey insurance coverage.

Purposes will open on Monday, January 2, 2023 and shut on Friday, January 13, 2023 at 4.00p.m.