Farm Innovation Visits Application Form- Sustainable Low Carbon Beef Systems- England

Overview

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is offering farmers the opportunity to take part in a farm innovation visit to learn about innovative approaches and technologies delivering sustainable low carbon suckler and beef systems.  

This study tour is part of the Farm Innovation Visits Scheme which is being delivered by DAERA’s College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). Over half the farms in Northern Ireland have a suckler cow enterprises, the beef sector is an important contributer accounting for appoximatly 20% of gross agricultural output.  Like many sectors it faces challages, in an ever changing climate there is an ongoing need to be resliant and enhance productivity wile achiving environmental sustainability.  

Improved performance driven by genetic selection, improved fertility, feed efficiency, and disease resilience will support low carbon livestock systems.  The tour will include visits to research institutes to see ongoing work quantifying emissions and genetic selection for lower methane ruminants. Systems to monitor and measure GHG emissions alongside benchmarking tools to aid management and reduce losses will be explored.

Visits will include suckler and beef finishing systems, focusing on efficient preformance and incoporating innovative technologies and systems. They will include farmers within LEAF, Grasscheck GB, AHDB Farm Excellence Programme and other progressive farms with a focus on efficient grazing systems, maximising production from forages including legumes and multi species swards to reduce reliance on fertiliser and concentrate, sustainable soil management, improved soil health and enhanced biodiversity all of which when combined enable efficient low carbon productive systems.

The group will travel to England mid June where the visit will be held over three days/two nights.