DAIRY IN IRELAND
Extension Education
Dennis Kauppila
Agriculture & Farm Business Management Specialist
UVM Extension, University of Vermont
Barnet
Abstract
Dennis Kauppila was on a sabbatical study leave in Ireland, from July to December, 2013. He studied with Teagasc financial management specialists. Teagasc is Ireland’s Food and Agricultural Development Authority. It is similar to our land grant universities, with research, extension (advisory), and college teaching. In 2010, there were 18,000 Irish dairy farms, averaging 61 cows, with 10,600 pounds of milk shipped per cow, on 1000 pounds of grain per lactation. Irish farmers have been milking under the European Union’s dairy marketing quota since 1984. Quota will end in April 2015. The Irish government’s goal for dairy is to produce 50% more milk in 2020 than was produced in 2009, looking for export income and jobs. So, Irish dairy farmers and their coops are planning for expansion. Teagasc started a new 300-cow dairy farm in 2010 as a demonstration with a target audience of both current dairy farmers and potential new entrants. They have done an excellent job of reporting both successes, and ‘lessons learned’ the hard way.Teagasc advisors were very interested in Risk Management and how we taught this to farmers at home. Dennis gave a presentation, ‘Identifying and Managing Risk,’ at the Teagasc Dairy Conference, ‘Strategies for Sustainable Success,’ in Nov 2013, 600 farmers attended at two locations.It is very interesting to see how other countries provide extension services to farmers.
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Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
A poster file has not been provided
Authors: D.M. Kauppila
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Kauppila, D. Agriculture & Farm Business Management Specialist, UVM Extension, University of Vermont, Vermont, 05819