Dairygold’s Grassroots Sustainability Programme has reached another milestone, with 1,500 Dairygold milk suppliers having participated in one-to-one nutrient balance consultations with Teagasc as part of the programme.
These individual consultations provide farmers with their current nitrogen and phosphorus balance figures and offer a tailored plan to enhance both economic and environmental sustainability on each individual farm. The figures are delivered via AgNav, a platform developed by Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF which identifies the nutrient sources contributing to an individual farm’s nutrient balance.
Speaking about this milestone, Billy Cronin, Dairygold Head of Member Services and Engagement, said the response confirms the ‘passion’ amongst farmers, to embrace sustainable change.
“We’re delighted to hit another milestone in our successful Grassroots Sustainability Programme. The feedback from our milk suppliers has been very positive, and the strong uptake amongst our milk supplier base is evidence of the strong passion amongst our farmers for long-lasting, sustainable change in how we farm. These consultations and the resulting action plans will help to deliver improvements in water quality and also increase profitability on farm.”
During the consultations the water quality status in nearby rivers or streams is also discussed using data from EPA maps to highlight areas of the farm that are susceptible to nitrogen leaching or phosphorus run-off.
The consultation provides an action plan for the participating farmer, outlining steps to mitigate nutrient loss, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance biodiversity on their farm. The consultations, which began in late December, are organised by Dairygold and delivered by Teagasc’s sustainability advisors.
According to Dr. George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Advisory Programme Development Manager, “this partnership with Dairygold shows what can be achieved when Teagasc and industry work together. We see initiatives such as this as a blueprint for other processors to follow on the journey to greater sustainability for Irish agriculture.”
