Dairy Farmers Celebrate Success of Meeting the Challenge

23rd November
Albert Johnston
CAFRE, Greenmount Campus

Thirty eight farmers from Counties Antrim and Down were recently awarded BTEC Diplomas for the Grass Challenge and Dairy Herd Fertility Challenge programmes.

John Fay CAFRE Director welcomed the farmers to the event and congratulated them on successfully achieving their Diplomas.

Trevor Lockhart Chief Executive Fane Valley Ltd presented the farmers with their awards.

In his keynote address Mr Lockhart outlined some of the factors influencing current milk price and encouraged those present to continue focusing on those aspects of their businesses within their control. By completing the Challenge programmes the farmers have developed their management skills so they are better equipped to face changes in the dairy industry with confidence.  

The Challenge programmes are geared towards farmers developing their skills by meeting in small groups facilitated by local Dairying Development Advisers.  The aim of the Dairy Herd Fertility Challenge is to assist farmers in reviewing their own herd’s fertility performance, and considers issues such as heat detection, nutrition, service and insemination management and breeding.  The Grass Challenge programme deals with the practical issues of producing more milk from forage - a key factor in determining dairy herd profitability with concentrate feed prices at an all time high. The issues considered during the programme include grazing management, silage production, sward improvement and the very topical issue of nutrient management.

The farmers who received awards came from groups facilitated by Aidan Cushnahan in Antrim and Broughshane, Irene Downey in Ballyclare, Kenny White in Ballynahinch, Alan Agnew and William McCulloch in North Antrim and Conail Keown in Newtownards.

Success was assessed by each farmer demonstrating that they had applied what they had learnt to their own farms.

Front row from left: William Munnis, Alistair McCullough, Wilson McMaster, Samuel Hill, Mark Allen (Representing Peter Allen), John Barkley
Middle row from left: Alan Wallace, John Gray, David Lindsay, Jay Lindsay, Raymond Gillespie, Dean McAllister
Back row from left: Cyril Orr, Ian Millar, David Morrison, Colin Crawford

If you are interested in becoming part of a Challenge group, please contact your local CAFRE Dairying Development Adviser or Greenmount Campus (tel: 028 9442 6756).