IFA National Dairy Chairman Tom Phelan has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed of a €1.5m grant aid support package for calf feeding systems.
In welcoming the news Mr Phlean described it as “an important first step in helping farmers take their share of the responsibility in managing larger numbers of dairy calves from next spring.”
He went on to add that “farmers also need some guidance, advice and training on best calf rearing practice to optimise the value of their calves, and I would urge farmers to attend their local AHI dairy calf event in January.
“For the medium to longer term, the IFA has asked Minister Creed to also support the setting up of an Irish semen sexing lab to allow for the sexing of our top bulls in order to help farmers improve their breeding policies,” he concluded.
