Conference examines Agtech solutions for dairy production
Pictured at the Shaping the Future of Dairy Conference were (l-r): Karol Kissane, Head of Public Sector Services and Economics, ifac; Cara Sheridan, Ruminant Veterinary Integration Manager, MSD Animal Health; Tara McCarthy, Global Vice President, ESG at Alltech; Anne Randles, Director of Corporate Affairs, Ornua; David Leydon, Head of Food and Agribusiness, ifac; and Andrew Meredith, Editor of Farmers Weekly.
The 'Shaping the Future of Dairy - Agtech solutions for dairy production and climate Conference' took place on Wednesday, December 11, in the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre in Lyons Estate, Co Kildare.
At the event, which was sponsored by MSD Animal Health, ifac and Irish Farmers Monthly, global thought leaders and industry experts gathered to discuss the impact of new technologies, European trends and our changing climate on the Irish dairy sector.
Keynote speaker, Tara McCarthy, Global Vice President, ESG at Alltech, addressed the climate debate and took a global view of how farming is perceived across the world and a farmer’s social license to produce.
“Global populations are growing and demand for food is increasing. We believe that agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet.”
Anne Randles, Director of Corporate Affairs, Ornua commented: “EU and Irish dairy farmers are facing similar social, economic and environmental challenges in maintaining and growing milk output over the medium to long term. Innovation, including agtech adoption in its many guises, will be crucial to unlocking opportunities and ensuring the long term viability of the sector.”
David Markey, publisher of Irish Farmers Monthly, spoke of the timely nature of the conference: “There is a critical time ahead for Irish agriculture and the Irish economy generally, with the threat of US tariffs, ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as serious economic problems in Germany and France, the powerhouses of the European Union.”
Andrew Meredith, Editor, Farmers Weekly, said: “The pace of change within agriculture at a political and technical level is extremely rapid at the moment, and food producers in the UK and Ireland are under pressure to continually do more with less. Conferences like this are not only vital for knowledge sharing to cope with this but a well-needed boost to morale and I look forward to building closer links with friends in Ireland off the back of this.”
Other speakers at the event included: Conor Mulvihill, Director of Dairy Industry Ireland; Damien McLoughlin, Professor of Marketing, UCD; David Leydon, Head of Food and Agribusiness, and Karol Kissane, Head of Public Sector Services and Economics, ifac; Cara Sheridan, Ruminant Veterinary Integration Manager, MSD Animal Health; Karina Pierce, Professor of Dairy Production, UCD; and Mark Keller, Interim CEO, National Dairy Council.
The conference closed with a special presentation to Michael Berkery, Chair of the FBD Trust, to acknowledge his 50 years at the heart of Irish farm politics.
