Water quality takes centre stage at the Tullamore Show
by Emily Sheehan
The Sustainable Livestock Village returned to the National Livestock Show in Tullamore, positioning water quality as this year's central theme.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, who officially launched the Village, noted that “it is encouraging to see the ongoing collaboration among farmers and organisations towards greater farm sustainability on show today.”
“This year the Sustainable Livestock Village has a strong focus on water quality, including information on the €60 million Farming for Water EIP, which my department launched earlier this year in co-operation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.”
“This information, along with advice on improving the breeding and health of our national herd and the new sustainability tool AgNav, are important resources available to help farmers on their sustainability journey.”
Dairy Industry Ireland and Meat Industry Ireland highlighted the supports available to farmers through the five-year Farming for Water programme ,and will outlined how farmers can apply and participate.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine outlined government supports available to help farmers improve water quality.
Speaking about the Farming for Water EIP, Conor Mulvihill, Director of Dairy Industry Ireland, said “The new Farming for Water EIP is an extremely welcome scheme designed around the ethos of putting the right measure in the right place.”
“The project provides financial support to implement measures that protect and improve water quality at a local level.”
“This initiative highlights the whole sector’s commitment to sustainable farming practices, ensuring the long-term health of our water bodies while continuing to produce high-quality dairy products.”
The Sustainable Livestock Village has introduced a new feature called the Speakers’ Corner, where discussions on farm sustainability took place with organisations and state bodies, including Bord Bia, Teagasc, Meat Industry Ireland, Dawn Meats, Liffey Meats, Tirlán and Lakeland Dairies.
Several farmers shared their experiences of implementing sustainability on their farms.
The panel discussions topics ranged from reducing carbon footprints and protecting water quality to achieving younger finishing ages, developing sustainability plans, and nurturing farm ecosystems.
Elsewhere, practical support was available on the day, including a livestock display from the ICBF highlighting the role of the Commercial Beef Value Index (CBV) in helping farmers make better breeding and purchasing decisions to increase profitability.
Farmers will receive an interactive demo of AgNav, the new farm sustainability platform developed by Bord Bia, Teagasc, and the Irish Cattle Breeders’ Federation (ICBF).
Edel McEvoy, Agriculture Sustainability Specialist at Bord Bia, commented, “AgNav is an innovative tool that provides farmers with a platform to monitor and improve their farming practices.”
“Today, we are enabling farmers to analyse the impact of sustainable changes in farming practices, while providing guidance on creating sustainability plans to ensure each plan is practical and achievable. We are continuously adding new features, including enhanced support for processor farm sustainability programs.”