Fermoy event centre to host Macra national conference
THE Corrin Marts Events Centre in Fermoy has been selected as the venue for the 2019 Macra na Feirme National Conference, which will take place at the venue on Friday, October 25.
The theme of this year’s conference, which will incorporate two panel discussions running across the course of the day, will be ‘Irish Agriculture – Thinking Smart’ and will look at the changes the sector needs to make to adapt to ever-changing markets.
The first panel discussion will look ‘inside the farm gate’ to see what the farm of tomorrow will look like, in the company of experts including animal geneticist Professor Donagh Berry and Teagasc grassland expert, Dr. Brendan Horan.
Professor Berry will offer an insight to the world leading scientific research that is pushing out the boundaries for breeding more profitable and sustainable livestock, while Dr Horan will discuss the potential for clover, multi-species swards and how to grow more with less input.
Delegates will also hear from a dairy farmer who is taking biodiversity on his farm to the next level and panellists will discuss an alternative market for dairy beef calves that could have potential here in Ireland.
The second panel discussion will look ‘outside the farm gate’ to see what’s happening both at home and internationally in terms of closing that gap between the farmer and the consumer. Delegates will hear from speakers in the market who have the ability to connect with their consumers and deliver a better return for the quality food they produce.
The day will also feature an in-depth conversation with Dairygold CEO Jim Woulfe and conclude with a round-table discussion with Irish MEPs, who will offer their insight into a variety of agricultural and rural-related issues.
Macra na Feirme National President Thomas Duffy said this was just a flavour of what delegates can expect to hear discussed during the conference.
“Disruptive innovation has transformed global industries and agriculture is no exception. Climate change, global trade deals, protecting reputation, consumer brands, environmental sustainability and social licenses are just some of the disruptors facing Irish Agriculture today,” said Mr Duffy.
“The pace of change is ever increasing and what may have once seemed like a distant challenge on the horizon comes into sharp focus much quicker. With this change comes opportunity and Irish agriculture must anticipate and adapt to the ever-changing world. It’s time to think smart,” he added.
While admission to the conference will be free, pre-booking is essential through www. macra.ie/skillnet.
Weekend delegates to the conference can also avail of three separate site specific tours the following day.
The Dairy Tour will visit the Kilworth farm of brothers Michael and Tom Dunne offering visitors an insight into how they have grown the family business over the years and learn about the ‘on-farm’ alternative winter accommodation.
The Beef Tour will visit Glen Farm South near Banteer where delegates will be able to see how the impressive beef finishing unit has achieved liveweight gain through excellent grassland management.
The third tour will take delegates to an agriculture contractor to learn about issues including precision technology and its application, calibrating fertilizer spreaders and the challenges facing the tillage sector.
More details of the three tours and the different itineraries can be found at the Macra website.