Setting targets for the Irish dairy industry
Laurence Shalloo A B and Liam Hanrahan AA Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, P61 C996, Ireland.
B Corresponding author. Email: Laurence.Shalloo@teagasc.ie
Animal Production Science 60(1) 159-163 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18531
Submitted: 1 September 2018 Accepted: 18 March 2019 Published: 2 December 2019
Abstract
A resilient dairy business will be sustainable across all of the sustainability indicators, survive milk-price drops and be very profitable when milk price is high. The term resilient means able to ‘recover, respond, deal or withstand’ different internal and external challenges that may manifest themselves within the farm business from time to time. There is significant potential to increase efficiency and productivity at farm level when compared with the average farm nationally. The focus at a farm level must be about increasing grass growth and utilisation and converting that feed to milk solids (kg of milk fat and protein) sales at as low a cost as possible. Increasing labour efficiency by operating more streamlined work practices, using contractors and contract rearing of heifers will have a major impact on farm labour requirements.
Additional keywords: dairy cows, economics, farming systems.
References
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